Atlanta superintendent sets goal for every Pre-K student to graduate

Atlanta Superintendent Dr. Lisa Herring gives her annual State of the District address at Illuminarium Thursday. Credit: Martha Dalton (screenshot)

Surrounded by laser projections at immersive entertainment venue  Illuminarium Thursday, Atlanta Superintendent Lisa Herring explained the meaning behind the theme of her 2023 State of the District address, “Mission Possible: APS2036.” Herring said it’s her mission to ensure that current Pre-Kindergarten students graduate from high school in 2036 ready for college or the workforce.

“Our students have to know before they leave us, and quite honestly before they hit high school, they have to have a sense of career relevance, interest, and talents so that they feel engaged so that we keep them at a space where they’re pursuing a talent and a dream,” she said. 

Herring said by the time today’s Pre-K students are seniors, she wants them to achieve one of the following: enroll in college, enlist in the military, be employed, or be on a path to becoming an entrepreneur.