Rough Draft sent questionnaires to all the candidates who officially qualified for the City of Atlanta municipal election on Nov. 4. These are the responses we have received so far from the candidates running for the Atlanta Board of Education. This post will be updated if/when we receive additional responses.
Early voting begins Oct. 14 and closes Oct. 31. See a list of early voting locations in both Fulton and DeKalb counties here. To check your voter registration, visit the GA My Voter Page.
District 2
Dr. Stephen Owens
owensforaps.com / @OwensforAPS / @StephenJOwens_
Parents are concerned about potential school closures, consolidations, and redistricting in the APS Forward 2040 plan. Would you commit to waiting on a final vote until after new board members are sworn in?
YES! Having the vote after the election but before new members are sworn in smells fishy. If we’re going to be making difficult decisions about the future of this district then school board members either need to vote before the election and face the voters or wait until new members are seated in January.
What policies does your district need to protect students from potential gun violence in schools?
We must keep kids safe but I feel we run the risk of ignoring the cost of high- stakes intruder drills on children’s hearts. I get it, we’re in a state and nation that refuses to curb gun sales so we have to treat schools like vaults. We also must weigh the impact on our children and parents that get caught in the middle of this terrible debate. Finally, in case I haven’t made myself clear: our state advocates, like the Georgia School Board Association, need to lobby the state lawmakers for gun reform so our schools aren’t left holding all the responsibility for these horrors.
What policies should be in place regarding technology like AI, cell phones, etc. use in the classroom? How do we protect students’ educational futures while equipping them with the knowledge to use these technologies effectively?
I’m personally terrified of AI and the impact it’s having on our learners as well as the environment writ large. Large language models are consistently wrong and to treat these things like tutors is to devalue our hard-working teachers. We need to make sure every educator knows the risks of relying on AI models to plan lessons and ensure that an expert sees every material before it goes before our students or parents. Students also need to learn the mental health and cognitive dangers of using AI models in place of real community or learning. APS needs to negotiate with this technology from a place of strength, by beginning from a place assuming that there is no true replacement for the connection between an educator, the student, and the material.
How can policy in your district protect marginalized students from disparities in academic performance?
We can broaden the net for whom is eligible for honors courses in middle school by relying on more than the current gifted class roster, which skews towards white and richer communities (see “automatic enrollment for advanced coursework” policies like what they do in Dallas ISD for example). Also, we can significantly reduce the use of exclusionary discipline practices in the early grades so we don’t set kids into the school to prison pipeline (see Charlotte-Mecklenburg’s suspension policy that reduced primary grades suspensions with ZERO negative effect to classroom discipline). But we need to be honest about the fact that we live in a city with the highest income inequality in the nation, in a state with zero social safety net making it incredibly cruel to be poor, in a nation that refuses to recognize the continued harms of systemic racism and classism. Let’s not blame schools because our society pushes Black and Brown kids off a cliff and then punishes them for hitting the bottom.
What strategies can your district utilize to attract and retain high- quality teachers?
Pay them more.
Tony Mitchell
mitchellforatlanta.com / @mitchellforatlanta
Parents are concerned about potential school closures, consolidations, and redistricting in the APS Forward 2040 plan. Would you commit to waiting on a final vote until after new board members are sworn in?
Considering the community voice should be an essential part of any plan that has impact on student outcomes and family decisions. Any plan around closures should conscious of that voice, weighing the short and long term impacts these shifts may have on the neighborhood infrastructure. While this decision rests on the current board, my hope would be that it isn’t rushed and reflects immediate stakeholders it impacts; in data and in feedback.
What policies does your district need to protect students from potential gun violence in schools?
Protecting students from potential gun violence requires more than school security—it demands community-rooted solutions. It requires us to take into consideration the systemic root that allows this issue bud in our classrooms. This means creating interventions that address student social and behavioral wellbeing, in addition to restorative discipline practices that create lines of support to very kids who need them. The district should also broaden its investment in community violence intervention (CVI) by leveraging trusted local voices and organizations that bring credibility through shared experience and deep neighborhood knowledge. Partnerships with these groups not only help curb violence through tested alternative approaches, but also expand wraparound services, mentorship, and long-term family support.
When students see their community invested in their future, they rise to meet that belief. Embedding these partnerships into the APS framework fosters trust, strengthens school-community ties, and creates meaningful opportunities such as workforce training and career pathways. By positioning schools as hubs for both safety and growth, we shift narratives around what is possible for our scholars.
What policies should be in place regarding technology like AI, cell phones, etc. use in the classroom? How do we protect students’ educational futures while equipping them with the knowledge to use these technologies effectively?
District policies should guide students to use technology in ways that support learning while protecting their focus and safety. Cell phone use should be limited during class, with exceptions for emergencies or approved lessons. Artificial intelligence and other digital tools should be allowed for supervised learning, but students must be taught to question results and avoid overreliance. Policies should also protect student data and only approve safe platforms. To prepare students for the future, digital literacy should be part of the curriculum, and teachers should receive training so they can model and guide responsible use of technology in schools.
How can policy in your district protect marginalized students from disparities in academic performance?
Atlanta can reduce gaps in student achievement by putting more resources where they are needed most. Schools with higher numbers of low-income, multilingual, and disabled students should receive extra funding and support. Strong early literacy programs, with universal screening and targeted help, give all children a solid start. Frequent small-group tutoring in math and reading is another proven way to help students catch up.
Discipline policies should focus on restorative practices instead of suspensions, so students do not lose valuable learning time. Opportunities for advanced courses should be open to all students through universal screening, automatic enrollment, and removing barriers like test fees. The district should also close the digital divide by ensuring families have access to the internet and devices, and provide quality after-school and summer learning. Finally, progress must be tracked with clear, public data so families and communities can hold the system accountable.
What strategies can your district utilize to attract and retain high-quality teachers?
To attract and keep high-quality teachers, a district needs to focus on both support and stability. Competitive pay and benefits are important, but so is making sure teachers feel valued and respected. That means giving them strong mentoring when they start, ongoing coaching, and real chances to grow into leadership roles without leaving the classroom. Reducing class sizes, providing planning time, and offering high-quality materials also make the job more manageable.
District 4
Jennifer McDonald
@jenforaps
Parents are concerned about potential school closures, consolidations, and redistricting in the APS Forward 2040 plan. Would you commit to waiting on a final vote until after new board members are sworn in?
As the current Vice Chair and serving my fourth year on the Board of Education, I know that working with the Superintendent and the community is critical to understanding impact. Community feedback is essential and always will be. My responsibility is to listen and then know how and when to advocate. That is exactly what I have spent time doing and speaking to the Superintendent virtually every single day to voice concerns from the community as well as my own valid and legitimate concerns regarding these various scenarios. Advocacy is not making empty promises on a stage but it is having the feedback, infrastructure and the relationships to move the needle. I am grateful to Dr. Johnson and his team for listening intently to the parents, taxpayers as well as the concerns I elevated. I appreciate that my request for an accelerated timeline to share updates was delivered and the Community Task Force meeting was moved from October 9 to September 22. That is incredibly significant. I also appreciate that my request to immediately share the updates with the public the minute the Community Task Force meeting ended was also delivered, in fact, the new scenarios were shared when that meeting started. The suggested idea to ‘do nothing’ in these scenarios does not reflect the input coming from different areas of our community and sounds irresponsible. I appreciate the four years I have served. I appreciate the deeper community ties it has provided that are even broader than my 13 straight years of leadership roles developed. The community needed advocacy now, not in January, and I took that responsibility very seriously. It is hard for a community to work in an environment with so much angst and unknown. I would not be able to agree to support an idea that elongated that angst and discomfort. The feedback from the community since the announcement and update on September 22 has been tremendous.
What policies does your district need to protect students from potential gun violence in schools?
Keeping our kids safe is a top priority. As an APS parent since 2012, this has always been the case as a parent and now as a current Board member. APS already has several policies and measures in place regarding gun violence and weapons on school grounds. Key aspects, often detailed in their Student Code of Conduct and Board Policies, include:
- Prohibition of Weapons: APS policies generally prohibit students and non-students from possessing, using, or distributing weapons in a school location.
- Student Discipline for Firearms: The APS Student Code of Conduct defines clear disciplinary actions for weapons. Notably, an APS document indicates that students found to have a loaded firearm on school property will be permanently expelled from Atlanta Public Schools (a change from previous policies that allowed a range of discipline up to expulsion).
- Secure Storage Policy: The Atlanta Board of Education passed a resolution promoting the safe and responsible storage of firearms by parents and families. This commits the district to increase efforts to inform stakeholders about the importance of secure firearm storage (unloaded, locked, and separate from ammunition).
- Reporting Mechanisms: APS encourages immediate reporting of safety concerns. They provide options for anonymous reporting, such as:
- Directly reporting to the School Administration and the APS Safety and Security Department.
- Using anonymous reporting options like Say Something (Sandy Hook Promise) and the School Safety Hotline (GA Dept. of Education).
- Threat Assessment: APS utilizes teams, which may include administrators, APS officers, case managers, and counselors, to conduct a threat assessment if a student makes a threat (in person or online). Following an assessment, a student and their family may be required to attend a re-entry meeting to provide resources and help change behavior.
- Compliance with State Law: APS operates within the framework of Georgia state laws that prohibit the possession of a weapon in a school safety zone, which covers most weapons, including firearms, within 1,000 feet of a school.
What policies should be in place regarding technology like AI, cell phones, etc. use in the classroom? How do we protect students’ educational futures while equipping them with the knowledge to use these technologies effectively?
APS currently has a policy regarding the use of personal electronic devices (PEDs), including cell phones, during the instructional day. The policy, which has been reinforced for the 2025-2026 school year, aims to promote a focused and safe learning environment and includes key points:
- Instructional Day Prohibition: The use of cell phones and other PEDs is forbidden for all students at all times during the instructional day. This includes class time, lunch periods, and class changes. Devices must be turned off and kept out of sight.
- High School Students: The possession of PEDs is considered a privilege for high school students, but it is only permitted before and after the official school day. During the school day, devices must be off and out of sight unless a school administrator gives specific approval.
- Elementary and Middle School Students: Students in elementary and middle school are generally not allowed to possess cell phones or other PEDs on school property or on the school bus, with exceptions for documented medical or other special circumstances approved by the principal.
- Consequences for Violations: The policy outlines disciplinary actions for violations, which can include the confiscation of the device and a fine. For a first violation, the device will be returned to a parent or legal guardian after a fine is paid and a conference is held. Subsequent violations can lead to the loss of the privilege of possessing a device on school property for a full calendar year and a higher fine.
- Emergency Situations: The prohibition on cell phone use includes emergency situations unless a student is directed to use the device by an APS employee or in an extreme threat to health or safety where no school official is present.
- School-Specific Implementation: While the district has a universal policy, individual schools are given some autonomy in how they implement and enforce it. Some schools, like Sutton, Midtown High and Maynard Jackson High have opted to use lockable pouches (such as Yondr pouches) to store students’ phones during the school day.
- Future Changes: A new state law in Georgia will take effect in the summer of 2026, which will officially prohibit cell phone use for students in grades K-8. APS’s policy is in line with this upcoming legislation.
At the same time, APS already has a policy that addresses the use of AI by students, though it is often integrated within broader policies on academic integrity and technology use. The district’s approach is not to outright ban AI, but to guide its responsible and ethical use. Artificial intelligence is increasingly influencing the workforce, society, and education. To ensure APS students and staff are future-ready, it’s essential to understand AI and use it responsibly and ethically. The motto of the Department of Instructional Technology, “Focus on the task, not the tool,” reinforces the belief that learning comes first and foremost. Any use of technology, no matter the tool, should facilitate, augment, and/or transform a learning experience.
Atlanta Public Schools encourages the use of AI to personalize learning and foster creativity. This information provided here is intended as a resource and does not represent District policy.
How can policy in your district protect marginalized students from disparities in academic performance?
APS has acknowledged its persistent achievement gaps, particularly between racial and socioeconomic groups, and has an existing Equity Policy and Office of Equity + Social Justice. There are so many components to this but we know effective policy must reinforce and operationalize these commitments. Policy must also continue to ensure that resources are strategically deployed to schools with the highest needs (often measured by poverty levels and historical underperformance), prioritizing equity over simple equality. This includes a number of components like equitable resource allocation and staffing, weighted student funding formula, equitable access to rigorous courses, high expectations for all, multi-tiered systems of support, access to wraparound services, holistic student services, ongoing commitment to social emotional learning, and disciplinary equity and elimination of exclusionary practices.
What strategies can your district utilize to attract and retain high-quality teachers?
I was very proud to support the incredibly important landmark decision for APS to raise teacher pay by 11% on average beginning in the 2024-2025 school year. This is the largest teacher pay increase in the district’s history. APS knows the teachers are the heart of the district and we have bigger goals to continue to increase pay to $100,000 by 2030. The new starting salary approved by the Board of Education has made APS one of the highest-paying districts for new teachers in the state of Georgia. The compensation budget was increased by nearly $59 million through a combination of salary schedule adjustments and one-time stipends. The compensation strategy also included specific investments to attract and retain specialized teachers:
- High-Needs Subject Areas: Stipends and increased pay were directed toward teachers in high-needs subject areas, including:
- Special Education
- Math
- Dual Language Immersion
- ESOL (English Speakers of Other Languages)
- Advanced Placement (AP) Instruction
- High-Needs Schools: Additional financial investments and stipends were designated for teachers and staff in schools defined as “high-needs” based on poverty levels, as a strategy for equitable staffing.
In a follow-up action (for the 2025-2026 school year), APS also approved substantial raises for other essential frontline employees:
- 10% Pay Raise: Bus drivers, custodians, and paraprofessionals received a 10% wage increase.
- Nurses: School nurses received market adjustments (1% for Registered Nurses, 2% for Licensed Practical Nurses).
These compensation changes reflect a concentrated effort by APS to improve teacher morale, attract high-quality educators, and recognize the entire workforce as critical to student success. We also know it is critically important that we attract high-quality candidates, retain top performers, invest in leadership opportunities, grow talent and skills, create strong mentor environments and foster a supportive school culture in all of our schools.
District 6
Jonathan Leon
drleonforaps.com
Parents are concerned about potential school closures, consolidations, and redistricting in the APS Forward 2040 plan. Would you commit to waiting on a final vote until after new board members are sworn in?
As an APS dad who sends his son to the neighborhood school every day, I know how unsettling talk of closures or redistricting can be. I’ve seen how quickly anxiety spreads when parents worry that their schools will be impacted. Serving on the Facilities Planning Committee, I’ve watched families and educators pour their concerns into every session, and I will bring that same care to this vote. Count on me to be about advocacy and accountability. I will answer the community’s call for deeper engagement before a decision is made. This isn’t a delay for its own sake; it’s justice and equity in action. Parents deserve full transparency and a chance for the leaders they elected to weigh in. That means hosting more community forums and a commitment to deeper engagement and participatory governance. It means sharing all relevant data publicly and rebuilding trust with families before any decision is made. Together, as a community of believers inspired by Dr. Crim’s legacy, we will find a solution that honors every voice.
What policies does your district need to protect students from potential gun violence in schools?
Every morning when I send my sons off to class, I want them stepping into classrooms full of hope, not fear. As a father and former APS teacher, I’ve seen how critical a safe, supportive environment is for learning. Protecting our students means having a comprehensive strategy. We will expand mental health and counseling support, even adding school-based clinics, so students get help before problems escalate. I will also ensure every APS campus has a trauma-informed, trained school resource officer. Working with community partners, we’ll bolster security with secure entry vestibules, cameras, and clear lockdown plans so any threat can be stopped quickly. As a former classroom teacher, I know safety isn’t just about locks and cameras; it’s also about culture. I support strengthening restorative practices in schools, so conflicts are resolved before they turn dangerous, building trust between students, teachers, and staff. Our schools should be sanctuaries of learning. I will fight tirelessly to keep our schools gun-free and every parent’s mind at ease.
What policies should be in place regarding technology like AI, cell phones, etc. use in the classroom? How do we protect students’ educational futures while equipping them with the knowledge to use these technologies effectively?
As an APS dad, former teacher, and education policy expert, I’ve seen how technology can both empower learning and create distractions. In today’s classrooms, we must strike the right balance: equip students with 21st-century skills while managing tech use. We will continue APS’s new policy requiring phones to be off during class, enforcing it so every school day is focused. Meanwhile, we’ll work to expand tech literacy and close the tech literacy gap: computer science and AI modules in every grade, coding clubs, digital citizenship lessons and after-school tech clubs. This is a perfect opportunity for a partnership. Teachers will get training and support, tech coaches and workshops, to use these tools creatively. We will also improve access: provide loaner laptops to students in need, strengthen school Wi-Fi, and partner with community groups to offer free home internet. Every step will be guided by our core values of love, justice and equity, so that all students benefit equally from technology. In short, we lock away distractions during class while opening doors to digital opportunity, protecting our students’ education today and equipping them to thrive tomorrow. After all, students in every APS school deserve the same chance to learn and innovate, and we’ll keep it.
How can policy in your district protect marginalized students from disparities in academic performance?
I grew up hearing stories of my grandfather who left Georgia because Jim Crow held him back. He believed education was the key to a better life, and today I fight to make that true for every APS child. Atlanta’s marginalized students face unacceptable achievement gaps, and we need targeted policies and programs to close them. We must invest early to expand quality Pre-K and early literacy programs in our schools so children arrive in kindergarten ready to learn. We will ensure every student has an individualized success plan and provide targeted tutoring where it’s needed. We’ll support our school communities with wraparound services (like in-school counseling, health support, and food programs) so no child’s needs go unmet. We must also reform discipline; I will fully adopt restorative practices to keep students engaged in class. We’ll train teachers in cultural competency and regularly track data so no group falls behind. We will direct extra resources to the schools that need them most, for example, by funding literacy coaches and extra tutoring in our lowest performing schools so that zip code doesn’t determine destiny. Ultimately, this is about equity, making sure every APS child truly has a fair shot at success. This work is personal. As an APS parent and community member, I will fight for these changes with every ounce of my energy.
What strategies can your district utilize to attract and retain high-quality teachers?
We will hire teachers we trust and trust them to teach. That’s more than a slogan; it’s a philosophy that drives how I believe APS must support educators. As a former APS teacher, I know the best teaching doesn’t come from endless mandates or one-size-fits-all directives. It comes from empowering talented educators with the training, resources, and respect they need to do their best work. To reach APS’s ambitious goal of $100K average salaries, we can’t stop at pay alone. We must invest in practice. That means dedicated stipends for professional development so teachers can continually sharpen their craft without dipping into their own pockets. It means robust mentorship for new teachers, time built into the schedule for collaboration, and meaningful pathways for leadership growth. We will build strong partnerships with local universities, not only to strengthen the teacher pipeline but also to connect educators with cutting-edge research and practical innovations in teaching. APS classrooms should be places where teachers can pilot and scale creative approaches to literacy, math, and deeper learning. By linking classroom practice with university expertise, we ensure APS becomes a hub of educational innovation, not just compliance. And finally, we will honor teachers by trusting their voices in decision making when educators know they are supported, respected, and given room to grow, they stay. By combining competitive pay, professional growth, and trust, we will create the conditions where great teachers choose APS and remain here for the long haul!
District 8
Royce Mann
royceforatl.com
Parents are concerned about potential school closures, consolidations, and redistricting in the APS Forward 2040 plan. Would you commit to waiting on a final vote until after new board members are sworn in?
I would fully support a move by the current board to delay a final vote until after new members are sworn in. Like many, I feel frustrated that the inaction of previous district leadership has left us in the position that we are in, and I have advocated to ensure that the long range facilities planning process be transparent and guided by the communities that will be most affected by the proposed scenarios. Unfortunately, it is evident that there is a lack of trust in the process, and this is for good reason. APS already has dozens of vacant or under-utilized properties, many of which used to be schools. The district’s failure to effectively repurpose these properties has created distrust in its ability to repurpose any schools that would close under the current scenarios. I will work to rebuild trust by listening closely to families, educators, and community members, and I will advocate to ensure any schools that close are repurposed in ways that continue to serve our families, whether through student and family support hubs, early learning sites, tutoring centers, or vocational education programs. Finally, I will always favor efforts to attract students back to our public schools over proposals to close or repurpose schools.
Underenrolled schools create real issues, but instead of simply closing them, we should work to expand innovative and exciting programs and aim to make our public schools the best option for every family. This should include the opening of an arts magnet high school and a STEM magnet high school along with supporting International Baccalaureate (IB) certification at more schools.
What policies does your district need to protect students from potential gun violence in schools?
As a co-founder and former Legislative Director for the Georgia chapter of March for Our Lives, I have extensive experience advocating for gun violence prevention, mental health support, and safer schools. On the board, I will remain committed to addressing the root causes of violence in our schools. To do this, I will work to double the number of counselors in our schools, expand school-based mental health services, and partner with organizations like Chris180 to bring trained violence intervention specialists into our schools. I also support a restorative approach to school discipline that centers evidence-based and trauma-informed practices to address conflict and promote healthier behaviors. Lastly, I will continue advocating under the gold dome for policies that keep our communities safe, including safe storage laws and universal background checks on all gun purchases.
What policies should be in place regarding technology like AI, cell phones, etc. use in the classroom? How do we protect students’ educational futures while equipping them with the knowledge to use these technologies effectively?
I support a ban on the use of cellphones during instructional time, with exceptions to allow for teachers to integrate the use of technology into relevant lesson plans. We should look to limit the role of cellphones and Artificial Intelligence in classrooms while recognizing that we will be unable to completely eliminate the role that technology plays in students’ lives. Instead, we can integrate AI and other technology in certain lesson plans and assignments to help students learn how to use this technology responsibly. Specifically, I support the implementation of a one-semester life skills course for all high school students which would include lessons on the responsible use of technology and social media.
How can policy in your district protect marginalized students from disparities in academic performance?
Currently, there is a roughly sixty-point gap in proficiency between white students and Black students in APS across content areas. This is unacceptable, and it is in no way a reflection of our students’ abilities. Rather, this gap demonstrates the district’s failure to adequately address the needs of all students. As your school board member, I will prioritize directing resources to schools with the greatest need. To do this, I will push to increase the poverty weight in the district’s funding formula to ensure more support for students from low-income backgrounds, advocate for financial incentives to attract high-performing teachers to low-performing schools, and leverage community partnerships to support under-resourced schools and communities. I will also work to increase wraparound services with the goal of opening a Student and Family Support Hub in each cluster and to expand access to high-quality, affordable Pre-K and childcare through utilizing empty classrooms and vacant district-owned properties. By monitoring student performance data, supporting evidence-based interventions, and fostering community partnerships, we can close achievement gaps and improve outcomes for all students.
What strategies can your district utilize to attract and retain high-quality teachers?
Like in any profession, teachers need support to continually improve, and this support must go beyond good wages. They need our investment to help them grow and progress in the profession. To achieve this, I will support expanded mentorship programs for new teachers, initiatives to promote the sharing and implementation of best practices across schools, and investment to help more teachers receive their National Board Certification. I will also support the expansion of proven approaches including co-teaching models that foster greater collaboration amongst teachers. Finally, I will work to increase mental health support and wraparound services to help alleviate the burden we place on our teachers. By investing in support staff including counselors, social workers, college advisors, and paraprofessionals, we can ensure our teachers can focus their full attention on improving academic outcomes and building healthy and inclusive learning environments.
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