APS picks former TN Superintendent of the Year as only finalist to lead district

ATLANTA — Atlanta Public Schools have selected its sole finalist to become the district’s next superintendent.

Channel 2′s Steve Gehlbach attended Tuesday’s Board of Education meeting where leaders announced Dr. Bryan Johnson as their pick.

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The board said it was a long process and leaders engaged with students, teachers, community leaders and organizations to find the best fit.

“This is a phenomenal opportunity,” Johnson said. “Our goal is to be the best urban school district in the country and I firmly believe we are positioned and poised to do just that.”

Johnson currently works as Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Strategy Officer at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He spent several years as the superintendent of Hamilton County Schools in Tennessee, a similarly sized district that includes Chattanooga and the surrounding area.

Johnson won the 2021 Tennessee Superintendent of the Year and was also named “Superintendent to Watch.”

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When asked about the challenges he will face at APS, Johnson said he first wants to understand the context and learn. Johnson said he can only get that by being on the ground, in the schools and listening to the

But his goals center around literacy and student achievement.

“We want to work with teachers and leaders and make sure that they are steeped in the curriculum and understand what we’re trying to deliver,” he said.

The position to lead APS opened last summer when Dr. Lisa Herring left the position. Dr. Danielle Battle took over as the interim superintendent.

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Gehlbach asked Johnson why he wants to return to being a superintendent after he spent time in the public sector and higher education.

“Three words: I love children…I love serving children and when I think about students and opportunity and privilege we have to impact their lives, it’s what my calling and assignment is.”

APS will now complete a 14-day vetting period before the full board votes and approves the hiring.

If he is approved, Johnson would take the job this summer before school starts. Battle will stay on through the first semester to help with the transition.

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