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When RedefinED Atlanta launched in 2016, we were responding to a clear and urgent challenge: far too many students in Atlanta lacked access to the kind of public education that helps young people thrive. And too often, a child’s zip code, not their talent or potential, determined the quality of their schooling.
We came together with a shared belief that all students deserve a high-quality education and that achieving this requires bold action, meaningful collaboration, and deep community investment. Since then, we’ve worked alongside families, educators, school leaders, policymakers, and advocates to expand opportunity and fuel lasting improvement across public schools in Metro Atlanta.
Our work is rooted in equity and driven by outcomes. We believe real change starts with listening to communities and investing in the people, ideas, and partnerships that make strong schools possible.
To transform Atlanta into a city where every student in every community receives a great K–12 public education.
We strive to serve as an example of what philanthropy can be when it partners with the community. We provide support to meet students’ and families’ different needs and remove barriers by concentrating resources to address inequities.
We seek truth, use data to inform decision making, and operate with honesty. We commit to identifying how we can improve and to making active changes ourselves, before seeking changes in others.

A City Changing

Give

Part II: Math Is Improving. A Closer Look at the Schools Behind the Gains

A City Changing: Setting the Stage for Change

Part I: What This Year’s GA Milestones Math Results Reveal Across Metro Atlanta

RedefinED Atlanta Announces First Cohort of Newly Launched Atlanta Changemakers for Education Fellowship - RedefinED Atlanta

Driving Change and Improving Systems - RedefinED Atlanta

Driving Lasting Change One School at a Time

Looking Beyond Graduation Rates to Better Understand Student Achievement

Looking Beyond Achievement to Better Understand Student Growth - RedefinED Atlanta

Restoring Meaning to High School Diplomas - RedefinED Atlanta

RedefinED Atlanta Launches Atlanta Changemakers for Education Fellowship to Grow Next Generation of Education Leaders

Tyler Burrell

Emily Castillo León

Hans Grohs

Lawrence Harris

Aaché Harrison

Nina Lyons

Dariun Maxwell

Sundiata Salaam-Bey

Angira Sceusi

Keith Colbert

Norledia Moody

So much of a student’s school experience happens outside of test scores. How often students are in school. Whether they feel safe. How discipline is handled. What students, families and staff say about the school environment. Together, those pieces help us better understand school climate. This month’s ASDP post breaks down what the data means and how families and communities can use it to get a clearer picture of what students are experiencing every day. Read more at the link in bio. #AtlantaSchoolsDataProject #SchoolClimate #StudentExperience #EducationData #MetroAtlantaSchools

For Roy Cogdell, Director of Education & Community Outreach at the @groveparkfoundation, supporting families starts with listening: understanding what they want, what they need and how you can stand beside them. It’s an approach Roy has carried into his work as a community leader and one that reflects the vision behind RedefinED Atlanta’s A.R.I.S.E. Fellowship, now the A.C.E. Fellowship. The fellowship was created to invest in people who are already deeply connected to their communities, helping them strengthen their leadership and turn what they know about their communities into action. Roy’s journey is one example of what that investment can look like beyond the fellowship itself: community leaders continuing to listen, connect families with resources and advocate for what their communities need. As we celebrate 10 years of RedefinED Atlanta, we’re also celebrating the leaders who are helping shape what comes next. 🎥 Hear more from Roy at the link in our bio. 💬 What does strong community leadership look like to you? #RedefinEDAtlanta #10YearsOfImpact #CommunityLeadership #AtlantaEducation

For Benjamin Straker, Clayton County Board of Education Chair, innovation in education means being willing to think differently about how we meet the needs of students. But new ideas can only go so far on their own. Partnerships with school districts create opportunities to learn together, test new approaches, and connect promising ideas to the systems that serve thousands of students every day. That collaboration is an important part of creating lasting change: bringing together what communities know, what educators are learning, and what districts have the ability to put into practice at a larger scale. 🎥 Hear more from Ben at the link in our bio. #RedefinEDAtlanta #10YearsOfImpact #AtlantaEducation

For Tori Jackson Hines, part of creating a great school is helping students see what’s possible for themselves, then giving them the support and opportunities to get there. That means pairing high expectations with the belief that students can rise to them. It’s a reminder that access to a great public education is about more than having a seat in a classroom. It’s about what students are challenged to do, the opportunities placed within their reach and the people who believe they can succeed. 🎥 Hear Tori reflect on what becomes possible when we set the bar high for students. Watch her full story at the link in our bio. #RedefinEDAtlanta #10YearsOfImpact #AtlantaEducation

What does it look like to grow into a fearless changemaker? For A.C.E. Fellow Tunissia Stone, it means continuing to learn, building relationships, and gaining the knowledge to advocate for students and communities with confidence. A longtime educator and eighth grade teacher at Jonesboro Middle School (@werjmsbears), Tunissia recently spoke with @claytonnews about the experiences that shaped her path to education and what she hopes to bring back to Clayton County through the A.C.E. Fellowship. We’re proud to have Tunissia in this year’s cohort and excited to see where she takes this work. 📰 Read her story at the link in our bio.

Thank you to @jlewisinvictus for giving us a space to gather for our latest DC360 Collaborative and for keeping us close to the students and schools at the heart of this work. Together, we spent time sharing perspectives, challenging our thinking, and strengthening the plan for what comes next in the Douglass Cluster.

For Ehab Jaleel, hands-on learning has been part of @amana_academy_west_atlanta approach from the beginning. Since opening in 2005, the school has used expeditionary learning to give students opportunities to take what they’re learning beyond the classroom. It’s an approach designed to make learning something students actively participate in, explore, and connect to the world around them. 🎥 Hear Ehab share more about Amana’s approach to learning. Watch his full story at the link in our bio. #RedefinEDAtlanta #10YearsOfImpact #AtlantaEducation

“This is what I picture community to be.” 💛 After years of waiting for the opportunity to experience Joychella, one Ethos Classical family finally got their chance. For Danielle Mack, the moment was a reminder that a great public school can be more than a place where students learn. It can be a place where students and families feel known, connected and like they belong. That sense of community doesn’t happen by accident. It’s something school leaders, educators, families and students build together. 🎥 Hear Danielle share the story. Watch more at the link in our bio. 💬 What makes a school feel like a true community to you? #RedefinEDAtlanta #10YearsOfImpact #AtlantaEducation

The best ideas don’t have to stay within the walls of one school. At the first convening of our Special Education Community of Practice with the @centerforlearnerequity, school leaders had the opportunity to learn from one another, talk through shared challenges, and begin identifying practices they can take back to their own school communities. That exchange is an important part of this work. When one school finds a better way to support students, there should be opportunities for others to learn from it.

"“I miss kids. I miss classrooms.” 💚 As a former educator, Ayana Gabriel Turner knows there’s something different about seeing possibility come to life inside a school. For Ayana, visiting the Academy for Innovation in Medicine (AIM) was one of those moments. She saw students excited about a school designed to connect their education to real opportunities in healthcare and a future they can begin preparing for now. It’s a reminder of what expanding access can make possible: more pathways, more choices and more opportunities for students to imagine what comes next. 🎥 Hear more from Ayana at the link in our bio. 💬 What opportunities do you want students to have access to before they graduate? #RedefinEDAtlanta #10YearsOfImpact #AtlantaEducation"

Meet Dariun 👋🏾 For Dariun, our mission to ensure every child has access to a great public education hits close to home. He started his career as a middle school special education teacher. He’s an @apsupdate parent. And today, as RedefinED Atlanta’s Program and Operations Manager, he helps keep the programs, projects, and behind-the-scenes work that move our mission forward on track. Those experiences have shaped how he thinks about educational opportunity, especially the choices and sacrifices families make to give their children access to a great education. That’s what makes this work personal. As we celebrate 10 years, we’re sharing stories from the people who have helped shape our work and who continue to push toward what we believe is possible: every child, in every community, having access to a great K-12 public education. 🎥 Hear Dariun reflect on how his own family’s experience shaped the way he thinks about access today. Watch his full story at the link in our bio. #RedefinEDAtlanta #10YearsOfImpact #AtlantaEducation

Ten years later, we had the chance to bring back together some of the leaders who helped start RedefinED Atlanta. ❤️ As we celebrate our 10th anniversary, we’re proud to recognize our founding leadership. Their early vision and leadership helped build the foundation we continue to stand on today. Since 2016, many more educators, families, advocates, partners, and community leaders have joined this work and helped shape what RedefinED Atlanta has become. Follow along as we celebrate the people, partnerships and progress that have shaped our first 10 years. #RedefinEDAtlanta #10YearsOfImpact #AtlantaEducation

As we mark our 10th anniversary, we’re looking back at the ideas, people, and partnerships that shaped our first decade and looking ahead to what is still possible. This story starts at the beginning: why RedefinED Atlanta was founded. Executive Director Angira Sceusi reflects on the shared purpose that has carried it forward for the last 10 years. Watch the full story and explore more from our first decade on our anniversary page. Link in bio. #10YearsOfImpact #RedefinEDAtlanta #PublicEducation #MetroAtlanta

A few moments from A City Changing: Funding Student Opportunity! Thank you to everyone who joined us for a timely conversation about how Georgia funds public education, what today’s students need to thrive, and how a stronger funding formula can support opportunity, workforce readiness, and economic mobility. We’re grateful to our speakers, partners, and guests for helping make the conversation possible. Missed the event or want to watch it again? The full recording is available at the link in our bio. While you’re there, explore our 10th anniversary page and the people, partnerships, and progress that have shaped RedefinED Atlanta’s first decade. #ACityChanging #FundingStudentOpportunity #PublicEducation #MetroAtlanta #RedefinEDAtlanta

Math scores are improving across Georgia. But some Metro Atlanta districts are moving faster than others. 📈 APS, Marietta, Clayton, and other school systems have made gains over the past two years, each from very different starting points. That matters because tracking progress is only the first step. Understanding where momentum is building can help us ask better questions about what’s working and what we can learn from it. Swipe through for a closer look at the 2026 Math Milestones data, then visit the link in our bio to explore the data for yourself.

We’re officially one week away from A City Changing: Funding Student Opportunity. On September 11, our featured speakers will join us for a timely conversation about how Georgia funds public education and whether our current approach reflects the realities students and schools face today. We’ll explore student needs, district realities, workforce readiness, and what Georgia can learn from other states as we think about the future of education funding. There’s still time to join the conversation. Register now to watch the livestream. 📅 September 11 🎥 Register at the link in our bio. #ACityChanging #FundingStudentOpportunity #GeorgiaEducation #MetroAtlantaEducation

A little team bonding, but make it service ✨ For our latest team get-together, we split up and spent the afternoon with our school partners at @anchorschoolatl , @ethosclassical , and @peaceacademycharter . We organized, prepped, sorted, moved things around, and jumped in wherever an extra set of hands was needed. And we got to spend some quality time together while doing it. 💚🧡 Thank you to our school partners for welcoming us in and letting us be part of the behind-the-scenes work that keeps your schools going! Swipe through for a few moments from our afternoon, and show some love to our school partners in the comments!

We’re excited to welcome Sundiata Salaam-Bey to RedefinED Atlanta as our new Associate Vice President of Innovative Schools! Sundiata has spent his career investing in people, from students and educators to school and organizational leaders. He brings that same belief to our team: strong schools are built by developing and supporting the people who make them possible. Please join us in welcoming Sundiata to the team!

Meet the leaders joining us for A City Changing: Funding Student Opportunity. Each brings a distinct perspective to the conversation: - Dr. Cayanna Good connects education policy, workforce development, and long-term economic opportunity. - Mark Dixon brings lessons from Alabama’s recent education funding reform and what it takes to turn policy into practice. - Dr. Keith Colbert brings nearly three decades of experience in Clayton County Public Schools and a firsthand view of how funding decisions shape schools and students. Moderated by Aarti Sharma of RedefinED Atlanta, together they will explore how Georgia can better align education funding with student needs, workforce readiness, and long-term success. 📅 Friday, September 11 📍 Livestream hosted by WABE Register to receive the livestream at the link in bio.

The 2026–27 A.C.E. Fellowship cohort began their journey by connecting with one another, establishing a shared foundation, and stepping into their first program session.

Georgia’s Spring 2026 Math Milestones results show continued recovery, but the progress is uneven. Atlanta Public Schools improved across all grade 3–8 Math assessments and Algebra. Cobb and Fulton remain among the highest-performing Metro Atlanta districts. Clayton continues to gain ground, and DeKalb posted gains across several grade levels and Algebra. Still, no statewide Math assessment exceeded 50% proficiency, and the Black-white achievement gap remains wide. In APS, 26.5% of Black students were proficient compared with 87.1% of White students, nearly the same gap as last year. The gains matter, and so does who is still being left behind. How can Metro Atlanta rally around stronger Math outcomes for Black students and students across the region?

Meet the 2026–27 Atlanta Changemakers for Education Fellowship cohort! These nine community-rooted leaders are beginning a journey to deepen their understanding of Metro Atlanta’s public education ecosystem, build meaningful connections, and strengthen how they advocate alongside students, families, and communities. Throughout the fellowship, they will learn from one another, engage with leaders across the region, and explore how to turn knowledge into action that expands educational opportunity. We are proud to welcome Keesha Coleman, Teruko Dobashi, Tiffany Franklin, Danielle Hall, RaKaya Leigh, Joanne Louis, Tunissia Stone, Khalia Tarver, and Karen Womack. Swipe to meet the fellows and follow their journey as they grow, connect, and lead. #ACEFellowship #AtlantaChangemakers #EducationLeadership #MetroAtlantaEducation #CommunityLeadership

Every student deserves access to the opportunities and resources that help them thrive. As Georgia grows and changes, our education systems must evolve alongside the needs of students, families, and communities. Join us for A City Changing: Funding Student Opportunity to explore how education funding can create stronger pathways for students and communities across Georgia. Register through the link in our bio.

This summer, hundreds of students across metro Atlanta will walk through the doors of a brand-new school. For some, it's the chance to explore a future in healthcare. For others, it's learning through entrepreneurship, technology, or an inclusive classroom designed to help every student thrive. We're excited to celebrate the opening of three new public schools: - @aim_georgia - @themelioraschool - Tapestry Public Charter School Clayton While each school is unique, they all share something in common: they're creating more opportunities for students and families. At RedefinED Atlanta, we believe every student deserves access to a trajectory-changing public school. Supporting these launches is one way we're helping make that vision a reality. Learn more about these schools and the communities they'll serve through the link in our bio.

In the Atlanta Schools Data Project, Student Achievement shows the percentage of students who score proficient or above on the Georgia Milestones. Families can use this information to explore: - Whether students are meeting grade-level expectations - How performance is changing over time - How results differ across subjects - How a school compares with district and state averages No single measure tells the whole story. Looking at Achievement alongside Student Growth, Equity and School Climate can provide a clearer picture of how a school is serving students. Read the full blog at the link in our bio. #AtlantaSchoolsDataProject #ASDP #StudentAchievement #SchoolData #EducationData #MetroAtlantaSchools

Public education is about more than schools. It's about opportunity. Our Executive Director, Angira Sceusi, recently joined @rosescottatl on @closerlookwabe to talk about the future of public education in Georgia, why school funding matters, and what it will take to ensure every student has access to a trajectory-changing education. Thank you Rose, @wabeatl, and @wabenews for creating space for this important conversation. 🎧 Listen via the link in our LinkTree.

Back to school is here. And while students are getting ready, teachers are too. The question is: are we setting them up to succeed? The best way to support students this year is to make sure teachers feel supported, too.

Please join us in welcoming Anna Sherill as our new AVP of Marketing & Communications 🎉 Anna brings more than 20 years of experience in marketing, advertising, and strategic communications, with expertise in developing data-informed campaigns that maximize impact across nonprofit, healthcare, retail, and financial services sectors. A native Atlantan, Atlanta Public Schools graduate, and parent of two DeKalb County students, she is passionate about advancing educational opportunity and using the power of storytelling to strengthen communities and drive meaningful change. We’re grateful to have her on the team and excited for all that’s ahead 💚

Strengthening Student Opportunity Across Metro Atlanta

It’s so special to watch a vision grow from seed to fully realized. Congratulations to @aim_georgia on the ribbon cutting of their new facility this morning! We’re proud partners ensuring that both our schools and communities are healthy and thriving. The possibilities, opportunities, and worlds this school will open for Atlanta’s youth will have an impact on our city for years to come.

"Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other." — John F. Kennedy Please join us in congratulating Norledia Moody on graduating from the 2026 Georgia Education Policy Fellowship at Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education Over the past year, she's joined education leaders from across Georgia in learning, asking questions, building relationships, and deepening her understanding of the systems that shape opportunity for students. Congratulations, Norledia! We're proud of you and grateful for all you bring to this work.

🚨 Applications close May 29! 🚨 Last call for the Atlanta Changemakers for Education (A.C.E.) Fellowship. If you’ve been thinking about getting more involved in shaping public education in Atlanta, this is your moment. Nine months. Real learning. Real relationships. Real impact. Don’t miss out. Apply now via the link in our Linktree.

What does the A.C.E. Fellowship actually look like? Think: – Sitting in on real policy conversations – Exploring educational successes and challenges locally and in other states – Learning alongside a cohort of leaders from across Atlanta & Clayton County – Helping direct funding to community-driven solutions It’s immersive, practical, and built for people who want to move from awareness to action. Applications are open. Apply via the link in our Linktree by May 29.

Same impact. Bigger opportunity. These are voices from our ARISE alumni sharing what the experience meant to them. The name is changing, but the purpose isn’t. If you’ve been looking for a way to better understand education in Atlanta and take action, this is your moment. Applications for The Atlanta Changemakers for Education Fellowship (A.C.E.) are open. Apply via the link in our Linktree.

We’re excited to welcome Bri’el Thompson to the RedefinED Atlanta team as our new Program Coordinator. Bri’el brings experience in program coordination, community engagement, and event execution, along with a deep commitment to building relationships and supporting meaningful impact across communities. We’re grateful to have her on the team and excited for all that’s ahead. Please join us in welcoming Bri’el 🤍

Community leaders: What if over nine months, you could gain: ✔ A clearer understanding of how public education systems actually work ✔ Relationships with leaders across Atlanta’s education landscape ✔ The tools to advocate for real change That’s what the A.C.E. Fellowship is designed to do. A.C.E. Fellows build knowledge, community, and the confidence to turn ideas into action for students. Applications are open now. We encourage applicants from those looking to step more deeply into education leadership. Learn more and apply here: https://redefinedatlanta.org/atlanta-changemakers-for-education-fellowship/ #LeadershipDevelopment #Education #Atlanta #ClaytonCounty

Don’t just learn the system. Help improve it. Applications are now open for the Atlanta Changemakers for Education (A.C.E.) Fellowship, a hands-on, nine-month experience for leaders who want to better understand public education and take action to change it. This isn’t a sit-and-listen program. Fellows engage in real work through policy discussions, field trips, community engagement, and even participatory grantmaking. If you care about students in Metro Atlanta and want to deepen your impact, this is worth a look. Learn more here: https://redefinedatlanta.org/atlanta-changemakers-for-education-fellowship/ #EducationEquity #Leadership #CivicEngagement #Education #Atlanta #ClaytonCounty

Behind every strong school are teachers who care deeply about their students. We’re grateful for the time, energy, and heart you pour into this work every single day. This week, and every week, we appreciate you!

Test scores don’t always tell the full story. Schools are working with very different realities, and that context matters more than we think. That’s why we look at “Similar Schools.” It shows how a school is performing compared to others serving students with similar needs. For example, @resurgencehall is performing about 34 points higher than similar schools. That tells a different story.

Building stronger schools isn’t just about what happens inside the building. It’s about what’s happening around it, too. That’s what DC360 is really about. Making sure schools, neighborhoods, and opportunity are actually connected in a way that supports students long-term. Right now, Action Teams are digging into what that looks like in practice across the Douglass Cluster. Listening, learning, building partnerships, and figuring out what it takes to turn a big vision into something real. One thing that keeps coming up in this work is the idea of staying close to the community. Not designing from a distance, but being present enough to really understand what’s needed. That’s where the work gets real. Visit the link in our Linktree to read more about the important conversations that are happening.

We’re proud to be named The Best Place for Working Parents in both 2025 and 2026. For us, being family-friendly is not about perks. It is about building a workplace that reflects real life. Flexibility, support, and a culture that allows people to care for their families while growing in their careers. This recognition is a reflection of our team and the values we bring to the work. Read more via the link in our Linktree

Big congratulations to @ethosclassical ! Being named Georgia’s 2026 Charter School of the Year is no small thing. It reflects years of consistency, strong instruction, and a deep commitment to scholars and families. What stands out about Ethos is not just the academic progress but the environment they’ve built. One where students are known, supported, and challenged every day. From literacy gains to access to arts and enrichment, this is what it looks like when high expectations meet the right support. We are proud to be partners with the leaders at Ethos and excited to see what comes next.

Closing a school is a decision. What happens next is what matters most. This piece from @the_74 , developed in collaboration with partners in Philadelphia, is a reminder that the decision itself is only the beginning. Cities across the country are navigating similar challenges, and there is real value in learning from one another to ensure transitions don’t deepen inequities. We’re grateful to be in partnership with Alyn Turner at the @research4action, @apsupdate , and others who are leaning into this work thoughtfully, asking hard questions, learning from past experiences, and working to ensure transitions lead to stronger opportunities for students. At the end of the day, this isn’t just about buildings. It’s about where students land and how we support them along the way. Read more at the link in our bio.

School averages only tell part of the story. What really matters is how different groups of students are experiencing a school. Our latest blog breaks down new equity data from the Atlanta Schools Data Project, helping make sense of Georgia Milestones results across student groups. Because equity isn’t one number. It’s understanding who’s being supported, who’s making progress, and where gaps still exist. If you’ve ever wondered what school data actually means for students and families, this is a good place to start. Visit our Linktree to read more.

We are hiring an Associate Vice President of Marketing & Communications to help shape our voice, strengthen our brand, and advance our mission across Metro Atlanta. From leading communications strategy to advising senior leadership, this is an opportunity to drive visibility and influence in service of expanding access to trajectory-changing public education. If you’re a strategic communications leader ready to align messaging with mission and lead with purpose, we encourage you to apply. Applications close April 4, 2026 -- https://redefinedatlanta.org/about/careers/ Know someone who would be a great fit? Share this post or tag them below!

Our Vice President of Schools & Talent, Emily Castillo León, recently hosted the ANet Benchmark #2 Convening, where school leaders turned assessment data into purposeful instructional action that can change student trajectories. Learn more about how RedefinED is working to “Stop Learning Gaps Before They Happen.” [https://redefinedatlanta.org/stop-learning-gaps-before-they-happen/]

Last week, the Georgia Tech Graduate Student Council, a student body that works to build community within Georgia Tech’s School of Math, came together for a Pi Day celebration that also served as a fundraiser for RedefinED Atlanta. Through their collective effort, students rallied support for our work to ensure every student in Metro Atlanta has access to a great K–12 public school. We are grateful to the Graduate Student Council and the broader Georgia Tech community for demonstrating how communities can come together to create opportunities for students and families across our city. Their leadership is a reminder that when people mobilize around a shared purpose, collective action can help move meaningful change forward.

Our Associate Vice President of Community, Norledia Moody, left our recent Clayton County Community Dialogue with three truths that stayed with her long after the conversation ended: 1. Family partnership is the heart of student success. 2. Students thrive when the conditions for learning are safe, supportive, and built for them. 3. When instruction is guided by meaningful data, we open real pathways for progress. We’re grateful to the panelists who helped guide the dialogue — Dr. Delphia Young (CCPS), Viki Dennard (CCPS), Tenisha Bailey (Jonesboro High School), and moderator Ophelia Nnorom — along with community partners and organizations who continue to show up for Clayton County’s students. Visit our Linktree to see how these conversations, steeped in community, are helping build stronger schools and more equitable opportunities for every student in our region.

Where a child grows up shapes so much of what becomes possible. The schools they attend. The networks they can access. The opportunities they inherit. DC360 is our effort to confront that reality honestly. Focused on the Douglass Cluster, this work brings together partners across education, city leadership, housing, and community organizations to align around a shared goal: making sure neighborhood investment translates into real opportunity for the children who live there. This collaboration is only possible because of the leadership and partnership of Dr. Lawrence Harris, along with partners including the City of Atlanta, Atlanta Public Schools, and community leaders across the Douglass Cluster who are committed to doing this work together. Our latest blog takes a closer look at the conversations, partnerships, and community engagement shaping DC360 so far. Follow the link in our Linktree to read more about this initiative.

Clayton County showed up. Last week, we gathered at the Clayton County Service Authority for a powerful Community Dialogue on Data-Informed Solutions for Stronger Schools. Families, educators, school leaders, and community partners came ready to listen, learn, and act. We heard directly from district and school leaders about what’s working, where progress is happening, and how innovation is helping close gaps. As a collective, we named what’s next: • Parent partnership is critical • Strong learning conditions require shared responsibility • Data must translate into aligned, differentiated instruction • Student success depends on collaboration across all stakeholders As one attendee said, “We care about being connected to Clayton County Public Schools.” The conversation doesn’t end here. Stronger schools are built together. Thank you to our Communities in Action grantees for being a resource to the community: Melanated PEARL Corporation Georgia Appleseed Center for Law & Justice Clayton County Public Schools Early Learning Department The Atlanta Thrive GeorgiaCAN

Last week with the @achievementnetwork1 , we brought together school leaders for a powerful morning of professional learning. Leaders immersed themselves in teachers' experience, reading complex texts, unpacking what students are actually being asked to understand, and wrestling with what it takes to make grade-level content truly accessible. The conversation centered on text complexity, but it quickly became about something bigger: how we use benchmark data not as a scoreboard, but as a tool to spot patterns, sharpen instruction, and identify clearer next steps for students. We are grateful for the school leaders who show up ready to be both supported and challenged in pursuit of excellence for every student.

Families deserve more than a single score to understand their schools. Today, we’re reintroducing the Atlanta Schools Data Project (ASDP), a community-centered tool built with and for Atlanta families. ASDP offers transparent, accessible school data that goes deeper than letter grades and puts context, equity, and agency at the center. This is not about labeling schools. It’s about empowering families to ask better questions, advocate for what their children need, and celebrate real progress happening across our city. Read the blog linked in our LinkTree to learn why we built ASDP and what’s next.

At a recent professional development session we hosted with @tntp, school leaders dug into their Instructional Culture Insight Survey results, identified bright spots and areas for growth, and then did the real work: asking hard questions and building action plans alongside peers. Across schools, the focus kept coming back to academic expectations, instructional planning, and how to better support teachers in meeting their students' needs. It was energizing to see honest reflection paired with real collaboration. At the link in our LinkTree, Emily Castillo León, our Vice President of Schools & Talent, shares more about the Convening and what’s on the horizon with this work. Thank you to our participants: @tapestryatlanta @ethosclassical @sankofamontessori @dekalbbrilliance @anchorschoolatl @kindezi @peaceacademycharter @excelsiorvillageacademies @atlantaunboundacademy @amanaacademy_charterschool @themuseumschool @globe_academy @thesimplevueacademy @movementsouthfulton @pbs_atlanta @ancs_wolves @milesaheadcharter2023

Black educators and school leaders have always been at the heart of educational progress. Their leadership, care, and advocacy shape school culture, student experience, and community trust. This Black History Month, we honor the educators whose work continues to open doors and expand opportunities for students across Atlanta. #BlackHistoryMonth #BlackEducationLeaders

We’re excited to welcome Lars Minns to the RedefinED Atlanta Board of Directors. Lars serves as Chief HR Officer for Mercedes-Benz North America, where he leads a transformative HR strategy across the U.S. and Canada. His leadership during one of the automotive industry's largest transitions reflects a deep commitment to strategy, talent development, and organizational excellence. With experience spanning global transformation, executive coaching, and civic leadership across metro Atlanta, Lars brings valuable insight to our work of strengthening schools and expanding school options for those farthest from opportunity.

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