ATLANTA — Atlanta Public Schools officials have been searching for a new superintendent for nearly a year and the school board has finally named its finalist.
Dr. Lisa Herring is the only person who has made it to the final round.
She isn’t the sitting superintendent just yet, but school officials have been keeping her busy.
Herring told Channel 2’s Tyisha Fernandes that she will soon be working to bring the district to the next level.
“I am a Georgia native, born and raised in Macon, Georgia, also attended college in Atlanta at Spelman College,” Herring said.
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She said she’s excited about coming back home. Herring is currently the superintendent of Birmingham City Schools and has worked in education for more than 25 years.
Some of that time was in DeKalb County.
Herring told Fernandes that one of the things at the top of her list for fall 2020 is safely transitioning the district out of the coronavirus pandemic.
She said the pandemic has shed some light on student issues that have always been there, like the huge gap between the haves and the have-nots.
“The pandemic just gave us a higher spotlight and it also put a greater expectation of delivery. So I’m excited to do that and not just in the Atlanta public school system, but for the children of the Atlanta public school system,” Herring said.
Fall 2020 is already proving to be challenging because school officials don’t know if virtual learning will continue or if students will be physically back in the classroom.
Districts across the state are preparing for both scenarios.
“As a professional, I feel highly confident and prepared to do the work. And I do look forward to working with partners and also working within the system so that the team of leaders, teachers and staff members can work with me to continue the work of making sure students are successful,” Herring said.
As Herring prepares to come back home, she told Fernandes that she also understands there are some concerns with schools in the northern part of Atlanta getting different treatment than schools on the south side.
She said she’s prepared to treat all students and faculty fairly.
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