Royce Mann

Education Hire more counselors with the goal of reducing the student to counselor ratio to 250:1, as recommended by the American School Counselor Association. Currently, the ratio in APS is closer to 500:1. Arts / Culture Support the creation of an Atlanta School of the Arts to serve high school students from across the city. Infrastructure / Transportation Work with MARTA to provide free public transportation for APS high school students, allowing more students to participate in extracurriculars and job training programs across the city. Taxes / Budget Generating revenue and expanding wraparound services through partnerships with businesses and organizations to utilize the numerous vacant properties that APS currently owns. Arts / Culture Ensure every school in APS offers students exposure to all four fine arts pathways: visual art, music, theatre, and dance. Education Expand science of reading training to all teachers, including in middle and high schools, and provide training and resources to better equip parents and caregivers to be evidence-based literacy champions. Taxes / Budget Getting more money directly to our classrooms by eliminating central office programs and resources that are expensive and ineffective. Social Services Open a resource hub in each school cluster to provide wraparound supports to families. Education Mandate a semester-long life skills course for all APS high schoolers that focuses on personal financial responsibility, making healthy life choices, and common adult responsibilities. Students should graduate knowing how to change a flat tire and file their taxes! Education Increase CTAE offerings and participation in programs that offer trade and professional certifications—prioritizing union apprenticeships, which will help students land good-paying jobs—with the goal of 100% participation amongst high school students. Criminal Justice / Public Safety Eliminate the practice of out-of-school suspensions, ensure that referral of students to law enforcement is avoided whenever possible, and implement a restorative approach to school discipline that centers mental health and student wellbeing. Healthcare Expand screening for dyslexia to cover all grade levels, ensure students have access to diagnostic testing if characteristics of dyslexia are identified, and provide enhanced training and resources for teachers to support students with reading disabilities, including through multi-sensory education. Education Establish a Curriculum Relevancy Advisory Council to convene leaders from the workforce and local higher education institutions, including leaders in the arts and entertainment, to continually review course offerings and curriculum materials and to provide recommendations to ensure all opportunities are being taken to connect curriculum to relevant post-secondary opportunities. Education Prioritize curriculum and materials that are culturally responsive and tell diverse stories. At the local level, we can fight the erasure of history by ensuring our curriculum includes the stories of Black, Brown, Indigenous, immigrant, and LGBTQIA communities! Taxes / Budget Advocating for increased funding from the state and fighting efforts to defund our schools! As the federal government continues to propose cuts to education funding, we must work with state leaders to ensure our schools have the resources they need.