Interim Superintendent Appoints Organizational Leaders at Board Meeting | Board of Education Re-Elects Ms. Goree & Mr. Straker to Serve as Chair & Vice Chair
On Monday, January 9, 2023, the Clayton County Board of Education, hosted the first Board Meeting and Work Session Meeting of the new calendar year and its first meeting since the appointment of Dr. Anthony W. Smith as Interim Superintendent. As part of his first meeting as Interim Superintendent, Dr. Smith recommended and received approval for the appointments below of district leaders to aid the district in achieving the goal of “Building a Better Tomorrow, Today!”. In addition, the Board of Education members voted to re-elect Ms. Jessie Goree, representing District 3, and Mr. Benjamin Straker, representing District 9 to continue to serve as Board Chair and Vice-Chair respectively.
•Dr. Douglas Hendrix, Sr - Senior Deputy Superintendent Chief of Staff
•Dr. Ralph Simpson - Deputy Superintendent of Administrative Services
•Dr. Delphia Young - Deputy Superintendent of Teaching & Learning and Strategic Improvement
•Dr. Keith Colbert - Chief of Student Services
•Ms. Yoshi Barber - Interim Assistant Chief of Finance
•Mr. Lonnie Farmer - Interim Assistant Superintendent of Cluster B
•Mr. Derrick Manning - Interim Assistant Superintendent of Cluster C
•Dr. Kim Dancy - Interim Principal of Forest Park High School
•Dr. Micki Sims-Harris - Interim Principal of Eddie White Middle School
•Ms. Tiffanie Nealy - Coordinator of Elementary Mathematics
•Ms. Dekea Lemon - Coordinator of Instructional Resources
“I graciously thank the Clayton County Board of Education for their confidence in me and I hope to lead with the level of expectation they have set forth,” said Interim Superintendent Smith. “Collectively, we can lift Clayton to the best place to learn, work, and play in the Metro Atlanta Area. Get ready to soar Clayton County, because we will build a better tomorrow, today for our students, employees, and community,” he concluded.
As part of the meeting, Dr. Smith also expounded on his five priorities as Interim Superintendent to include: 1) Cultivating a School Safety Culture & Promote a Positive Working Environment; 2) Increase Academic Achievement; 3) Bolster Financial Stability; 4) Strengthen Organizational Structure; 5) Enhance Infrastructure & New Facilities.
To view or rewatch the Clayton County Board of Education Meeting, which features an in-depth explanation of Dr. Smith’s five priorities, please visit the following link to access the rebroadcast of the January 9, 2022 meeting (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16ELydLxYzw).