5.11 Dr. Lisa Herring Approved as New Superintendent of Atlanta Public Schools

ATLANTA (May 11, 2020) – The Atlanta Board of Education voted to name Dr. Lisa Herring as the next superintendent to lead the City’s public schools. During the special-called meeting, the Board approved a 3-year contract for Dr. Herring, whose duties will start on July 1, 2020.

“We are thrilled Dr. Herring will assume leadership of the Atlanta Public School District and are energized by her passion for equity and building strong relationships,” said Jason F. Esteves, Board Chair and an at-large representative on the Atlanta Public Schools Board of Education. “As a successful instructional leader, Dr. Herring will provide a vision for continuous improvement for all students no matter their background or barriers.”

The Board launched a nationwide search in October, which included an extensive community engagement period, followed by interviews with a diverse group of candidates before announcing Dr. Herring as its sole finalist on April 21.

Since then, Dr. Herring has held 30 virtual meetings with more than 3,500 attendees including Atlanta Public Schools employees, students, families, committees and task forces, school governance go teams, school district communities at large, community partners, business leaders, elected officials, clergy and the public. During these meetings, she was able to introduce herself, answer questions and hear concerns from the community while respecting social distancing.

“It is an honor to be chosen for this important role with APS, and I look forward to strengthening the educational and emotional journeys of our scholars throughout the district,” said Dr. Herring. “Despite the physical separation created by COVID-19, I am committed to continued engagement to learn more about the district’s victories and challenges while building a strong sense of community which will help fuel our success – both now and in the years to come.”

Currently the superintendent of Birmingham City Schools in Alabama, Dr. Herring has spent her entire career in education – serving students for more than 25 years and bringing success to urban public-school districts. In addition to her strong academic background and laser-like focus on creating equity and access, Dr. Herring forged civic and corporate partnerships like The Birmingham Promise and ED FARM that brought innovative and equitable opportunities to students and the community.

Prior to her tenure in Birmingham, Dr. Herring was the Chief Academic Officer for Jefferson County Public Schools in Louisville, KY, a system with more than 100,000 students where she successfully restructured the academic division and led the district’s strategic plan. She served as the Deputy Superintendent of Academics for the Charleston County, SC School District, as well as Chief Academic Officer, Associate Superintendent for Instructional Support and Executive Director of Student Support Services in the district.

Dr. Herring began her career in education as a creative writing teacher in Pittsburgh and then as an eighth-grade Language Arts teacher in Bibb County, Ga. She spent several years as a middle school counselor in DeKalb County, Ga. and in that role also served as a reading interventionist to support student progress. She then became the assistant director of student support services in DeKalb County where she led the district’s 300 elementary, middle and high school guidance counselors, guidance directors and graduation coaches. Dr. Herring later returned to Bibb County as the director of student support services.

She received her Bachelor of Arts Degree from Spelman College in Atlanta, Master and Specialist degrees from the University of South Carolina, Leadership Certification from the University of Georgia and her Doctorate from Georgia Southern University.

Dr. Herring completed Harvard University’s Public Education and Leadership Program and Georgia’s Leadership Institute for School Improvement. She is a 2008 graduate of Leadership Georgia. To learn more about Dr. Herring, visit the APS Board's Superintendent Search website.

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About Atlanta Public Schools

Atlanta Public Schools is one of the largest school districts in the state of Georgia, serving approximately 52,000 students across 87 schools. The District is organized into nine K-12 clusters with 58 traditional schools, 18 charter schools, six partner schools, two citywide single-gender academies and three alternative programs. To learn more about Atlanta Public Schools, follow us on social media – Twitter (@apsupdate), Facebook (Atlanta Public Schools), and Instagram (apsupdate) – or visit us online at www.atlantapublicschools.us.