Atlanta’s new superintendent of public schools is recruiting her second-in-command from a major charter school network, according to The Atlantic Journal-Constitution.
Superintendent Meria Carstarphen plans to hire David Jernigan as her deputy superintendent from KIPP Metro Atlanta, pending approval from the school board.
It looks like tapping someone from the charter school sector is part of a broader plan for the school district which enrolls about 49,000 students. The Atlantic Journal-Constitution story says Carstarphen wrote this in an email to employees:
Additionally, one of the Board's priorities outlined in its April 2014 retreat is to improve collaboration between our charter and APS community schools. I believe David will be an asset in this effort. David carries a strong commitment to Atlanta's students, and I believe he will make an even broader impact in public education in this new role."
Before working at KIPP as both a founding principal in one of its Atlanta schools and most recently as the executive director of the city’s network, Jernigan was a teacher in the Atlantic public schools system.
KIPP, or more formally the Knowledge is Power Program, is a national network of about 140 schools in 20 states. It’s also the winner of this year’s Broad Prize for Public Charter Schools.
Carstarphen herself is a newcomer to Atlantic Public Schools. She was hired in March from the Austin Independent School District in Texas.