First active teacher to serve on Atlanta Board of Education reflects on the memory of his son

Clayton County high school teacher Alfred “Shivy” Brooks has been sworn in to his District 7 seat on the Atlanta Board of Education, and he makes history as the first active teacher on the board in its 150-year history. 

Brooks is an economics and government teacher at Charles Drew High School. He beat incumbent Tamara Jones in the race for the At-Large District 7 seat with 65% of the vote, gaining 9,002 votes total in a December runoff election.

Brooks’ passion to serve is fueled by many things, but mainly the memory of his late 16-year-old son Bryce, who drowned shortly before he launched his campaign. Bryce drowned while saving four children who were being pulled out to sea in the Gulf Coast.