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    District 6:  Eshé P. Collins | Board Vice-Chair

    epcollins@atlantapublicschools.us 

    An Atlanta native and former teacher in Atlanta Public Schools, Eshé P. Collins never wavered from her strong passion for education. Beginning at a young age, she always knew the value of a solid education: a challenging curriculum, a system of great teachers, and strong family and community involvement. Eshé understands the impact of quality education in realizing the potential of the city, and is excited to leverage her passion and experience to provide all students in Atlanta with the education they deserve.

    Eshé has an extensive record of commitment and achievement in urban education and communities. As a fourth- and fifth-grade teacher at A.D. Williams Elementary School, 92 percent of her students met or exceeded expectations on the Criterion-Referenced Competency Test for both grade levels. Eshé also led the after-school, and summer tutoring programs for the Bowen Homes community and co-founded the “Reaching Back, Bridging Gaps” reading program, a community-based literacy initiative.

    Eshé’s work within urban settings has been the combination of her classroom, policy and legal experience on issues that address student achievement and equity in education. She analyzed national education issues and advocated for accessible healthcare at the Children’s Defense Fund. Also, Eshé worked in Cape Town, South Africa, where she helped refugee women and children access quality services and enrollment in local schools.

    Currently, Eshé serves as Georgia State University’s project director for Jumpstart, an early education, nonprofit organization that delivers a high-quality curriculum to preschool children in low-income neighborhoods. In this role, she trains adults to teach and lead in their communities; works closely with parents to improve family involvement; and more importantly, inspires children to learn through the love of literacy. Within the program, Eshé has increased community involvement by 150 percent, which has resulted in community members’ service of more than 15,000 hours in the classroom and community each year.

    In pursuit of her passion, Eshé earned a B.A. degree in psychology from Spelman College; M.S. in urban teacher leadership from Georgia State University; and J.D., cum laude, from North Carolina Central University School of Law. She holds Georgia educator certifications in early childhood education and educational leadership, and a license to practice law in the state of Georgia.

    Eshé is a woman of many accomplishments and continues to be an avid servant throughout the Atlanta community.