Atlanta Board of Education Superintendent Search Committee Wants input Thursday

The Atlanta Board of Education's Superintendent Search Committee is seeking feedback from parents, students and community stakeholders at several public meetings from May 15-21. The first meeting will be held Wednesday at Buckhead's Sutton Middle School from 6-8 p.m.

The meetings will be held at a school in every district cluster and their purpose is to gain information from citizens about essential characteristics they feel is necessary in the Atlanta Public Schools' next superintendent.

“All members of the search committee affirm the importance of gathering extensive community input in this search,” stated committee chair Ann Cramer, who is a retired IBM executive and mother of former APS students, on the APS website. “We hope everyone interested will take advantage of this opportunity, and we pledge to provide full transparency during the process.”

Atlanta Board of Education member Nancy Meister, who represents Buckhead, A provision of his contract states that if the board finds and hires a new superintendent replacement, Davis' contract will expire within 90 days.

Meister said then: "We need to find a superintendent that fits our needs." She also told Buckhead Patch then that her decision to oppose Davis' contract extension was not completely because she disagrees with Davis' decisions for removal and reassignment of North Atlanta High's key administrators, including principal Mark MyGrant.

For those who are unable to attend the meetings, the search committee is also gathering community input from a survey posted online to also help develop a profile for the next Atlanta Public Schools superintendent.

"The committee will then submit the profile to the Atlanta Board of Education for review and approval. After approval by the Board of Education, the search committee will use the profile to attract and recruit potential candidates. Ultimately the committee will recommend three to five candidates for the Board’s consideration," according to the statement on the APS website.

Other community input meetings will be held on Wednesday from 6-8 p.m. at Coretta Scott King and Harper Archer Middle School. Find a full schedule here on the APS' Talk Up APS website.