Back to School 2024: Metro Atlanta students ready for 1st day of classes

ATLANTA - Students across metro Atlanta are heading for the school bus stop for their first day of classes.

Atlanta Public Schools and schools in Cobb, Cherokee, Clayton, and Douglas counties will all be back in session on Thursday morning.

You can find FOX 5's full list of school start dates here.

Atlanta Public Schools' new superintendent

Atlanta Public Schools is beginning the new school year with new leadership at the top.

Dr. Bryan Johnson officially takes over the 50,000-student district on Aug. 5, but he's been getting ready for the task since before his hiring in July.

When he starts, his 13-year-old son will be enrolled as a 7th grader in Atlanta Public Schools.

"It was never a second thought," Johnson said." Philosophically, I've always thought, 'If it's not good enough for my child, it's not good enough for any.'"

Johnson is the former superintendent of Hamilton County Schools in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Before that, he spent five years in the classroom. He says his experience there will help him take on the job here.

Speaking on Good Day Atlanta, Johnson said that he wanted to prioritize issues like equity and literacy from the start of his tenure.

"Obviously, there's a great opportunity with literacy. There's a great opportunity to make sure that our children are readers, and they can't just read but speak and listen, and they can also write really well," he said.

Johnson says he wants to make sure when students graduate from Atlanta Public Schools, they have a path forward. In fact, he had his own questions before making the decision to take the job.

"We want to make sure that we don't just graduate students, and I've said this multiple times. To have a high graduation rate is obviously a goal. That's a metric that people look at. But we want to make sure when students walk across the stage that they're actually prepared. And so for us, it's, 'Do they have a certification - a credential? Do they have a set of skills that they're going to a two-year, a four-year? What's the next step for them in addition to just graduating?'" he said.

The former Alabama educator will be taking over the role from the interim superintendent, Dr. Danielle Battle, who filled in for the last full-time superintendent, Dr. Lisa Herring. She left the school system after three years following the board's decision not to extend her contract.

Clayton County Schools hiring more teachers

As the first day of school kicks off in Clayton County, district officials are working to fill hundreds of vacancies to ensure the year is successful for the area's students.

In the last school year, the Georgia Milestones Assessment results showed Clayton County students either improved or remained the same in 19 out of 20 tested grade levels and subjects.

Recently, the district held a hiring fair for around 200 positions, including teachers and para-professionals.

Officials say they want to make sure they find the right people to teach the next generation and are looking for qualified candidates to help their students shine.

"We want to make sure that our students have the very best. And those who want to support our students, so that they are successful this year," Clayton County Schools Human Resources Director Dr. Ave Tatum told FOX 5.

If you are interested in working in education, all the open positions and information for applications are on the district's website. Positions include art instructors, special education teachers, and soccer coaches.

New phone policy at Marietta City Schools

Some students at Marietta City Schools are starting the new year with a new policy regarding cell phones.

In June, the city's school board voted unanimously, 7-0, to ban cell phones for middle school students.

"We really want kids to be focused on learning," said Superintendent Grant Rivera in a statement. "Cellphones, smartwatches, and social media have significant impacts on our students' learning and mental health. School should be a place to learn and grow; that can't happen if students are distracted by their phones."

With the passing of the ban, students will now be expected to place their phones and smartwatches in a lockable Yondr pouch when they enter the building during the upcoming school year.

The new policy affects Marietta Sixth Grade Academy and Marietta Middle School students.

DeKalb County will be implementing a similar policy through a pilot program that will launch this school year at five middle and five high schools.  

New elementary opens doors in Henry County

Some elementary students in Henry County are starting the new year in a brand-new school.

Birch Creek Elementary will be opening its doors to kids for the first time on Thursday.

The state-of-the-art school is the first to be built in the county in more than a decade.

Leaders started the process back in October 2020 to help alleviate overcrowding at other elementary schools.

Birch Creek Elementary Principal Quavious Wright has a special connection to the new school.

"I went to one of the feeder schools myself. Kindergarten to fourth grade at Oakland Elementary. I also served as an assistant principal at the other school, Wesley Lake," Wright said. "I do know all too well how that feeling is going into a new building and making new friends, making connections, and they'll be stoked about starting new traditions."