President Victoria Seals began the meeting by asking Ms. Aretta Baldon, Atlanta Board of Education member for the 2nd District, to introduce our speaker.  Ms. Baldon presented Dr. Bryan Johnson, School Superintendent of the Atlanta Public Schools. Dr. Johnson thanked AWER for providing an opportunity to talk about APS.  He began by asking each person at the meeting to give him one question for him to address - he said he wanted to be responsive to the concerns and interests of all attending the meeting.  Questions ranged from the City of Atlanta Tax Allocation Districts, to how to deal with Christian nationalism, to school safety, to the roles and responsibilities of parents, among other topics.

Before responding to questions, Dr. Johnson shared his journey from business education to public education leadership. Between his junior and senior year of college, while playing football, he found a job working with youth who had behavioral challenges. This experience revealed his passion for working with children, though he completed his business degree on his advisor's recommendation. His business background has proven valuable in navigating the complexities of school district administration. Dr. Johnson served as superintendent of Hamilton County Schools in Tennessee, where the district became the fastest-improving school district in the state. He also worked in corporate leadership at US Express Enterprises and in higher education at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga before coming to Atlanta Public Schools. Dr. Johnson emphasized his commitment to being a husband and father first, while understanding the demands of his role as superintendent. He described his leadership style as direct and focused on rebuilding trust through honest communication rather than concentrating on public appearances.  Further, he said, working with youth who had behavioral challenges revealed his passion for children as his first calling, despite having a business degree.

Dr. Johnson explained the "math problem" that the APS is dealing with which is resulting in a projected deficit of $130M for the 2026-27 school year.  The math problem is based on paying for a student capacity for 70,000 students but enrolling only 50,000. He said the Board of Education will agree to reduce central office costs, but those cuts will be far from enough to close the deficit. He said he imagines that living within our means will require school closings - as many as seventeen.  He emphasized that no decisions have been made.

He was also asked what is needed to return APS to its former greatness. He said some of the answer must come from the public and talked of the late and former school superintendent Dr. Alonzo A. Crim's notion of a "community of believers." He emphasized the public must believe in the schools and while criticism is vital, we all must believe in and work for our schools’ success, and some of this means getting much more of the good news out about all that teachers and children are accomplishing. Dr. Johnson posed a critical question: "Are you proud enough to send your child to the school you graduated from?" He believes Atlantans must answer this question affirmatively for the district to succeed. People must ask about their own pride in the schools and then work with schools to be sure that opportunities are fully available ... he specifically noted Carver and Washington high schools need major investments, which is more than money, though money is needed.  

He added trust-building is all of our jobs. Further noting that being critical helps only when it is fact-based. Operationally, he said the APS is devoted to students being prepared for both technical careers and for higher education.

— Neil Shorthouse, Keyway Speaker Reporter