APS officially hires Dr. Lisa Herring as new school superintendent

ATLANTA — The Atlanta Public Schools Board of Education has officially appointed Dr. Lisa Herring as the school district’s new superintendent.

The board held a special meeting Monday evening to vote on her appointment to replace outgoing superintendent Meria Carstarphen.

The school board voted 8-1 on Monday evening to hire Herring, who is currently the superintendent of Birmingham City Schools and has worked in education for more than 25 years.

“I am a Georgia native, born and raised in Macon, Georgia. (I) also attended college in Atlanta at Spelman College,” Herring told Channel 2’s Tyisha Fernandes last week.

Herring, 47, said one of the things at the top of her list for the fall is safely transitioning the district out of the coronavirus pandemic.

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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 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.

Herring agreed to a three-year contract and will take over July 1. She will make an annual base salary of $320,000, plus $2,000 a month for expenses. State law prohibits school boards from signing a superintendent contract that lasts longer than three years.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution contributed to this article.

APS names finalist for school district superintendent It has been years since the district has chosen one.

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