2023 Georgia Local Elections

2023 Georgia Local Elections Runoff

Pensacola News Journal, Bryce Brooks: Family honors Atlanta teen who died saving kids from drowning at Perdido Key

Atlanta Civic Circle, At a glance: the 2023 Atlanta Public School board elections 

Shivy is originally from Atlanta. He has a degree in public policy from Georgia State University. He lives with his wife and youngest child.

Shivy teaches economics, personal finance, and government at Charles Drew High School.

Alfred "Shivy" Brooks previously ran for Post 1 at Large on the Atlanta City Council in 2021 but did not win.

Wants to invest in technology infrastructure, including strong Wi-Fi networks, up to date devices, and software.

Plans to "provide equitable access to technology for all students, including loaner devices, internet access, and community partnerships that offer technology resources to underserved populations."

- Wants to invest in technology infrastructure, including strong Wi-Fi networks, up to date devices, and software.
- Plans to "provide equitable access to technology for all students, including loaner devices, internet access, and community partnerships that offer technology resources to underserved populations."

Taxes & Budget

Wants to develop a diverse and inclusive curriculum that represents all Atlanta's students' histories, cultures, and perspectives.

Advocates for the integration of critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity across all subject areas.

Plans to implement strategies to eliminate barriers and increase inclusion to address disparities in access to advanced courses, extracurricular activities, and specialized programs.

- Wants to develop a diverse and inclusive curriculum that represents all Atlanta's students' histories, cultures, and perspectives.
- Advocates for the integration of critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity across all subject areas.
- Plans to implement strategies to eliminate barriers and increase inclusion to address disparities in access to advanced courses, extracurricular activities, and specialized programs.

School Curriculum

Supports equitable distribution of resources, including funding, technology, and instructional materials.

Wants comprehensive mental health services within schools, including access to counselors, therapists, and social workers.

Advocates implementing trauma-informed practices and restorative justice approaches to address and heal the effects of adverse experiences.

Wants to support ongoing professional development opportunities that align with the latest research and best practices in education.

- Supports equitable distribution of resources, including funding, technology, and instructional materials.
- Wants comprehensive mental health services within schools, including access to counselors, therapists, and social workers.
- Advocates implementing trauma-informed practices and restorative justice approaches to address and heal the effects of adverse experiences.
- Wants to support ongoing professional development opportunities that align with the latest research and best practices in education.

School Facilities & Resources

Advocates for the implementation of anti-bullying and anti-discrimination policies to ensure a safe and inclusive school environment.

Supports implementing restorative justice practices that prioritize dialogue and understanding.

Wants to develop policies that prioritize alternatives to punitive discipline and emphasize empathy, understanding, and accountability.

- Advocates for the implementation of anti-bullying and anti-discrimination policies to ensure a safe and inclusive school environment.
- Supports implementing restorative justice practices that prioritize dialogue and understanding.
- Wants to develop policies that prioritize alternatives to punitive discipline and emphasize empathy, understanding, and accountability.

School Safety & Discipline

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Alfred "Shivy" Brooks

Alfred "Shivy" Brooks ran for Post 1 at Large on the Atlanta City Council but did not win.

Alfred is originally from Atlanta. He has a degree in public policy from Georgia State University. He lives with his wife and youngest child.

Alfred teaches economics, personal finance, and government at Charles Drew High School.

As of August 28, 2023, Alfred "Shivy" Brooks’s website did not contain information on this issue and Alfred "Shivy" Brooks did not complete our questionnaire.

Shivy is originally from Atlanta. He has a degree in public policy from Georgia State University. He lives with his wife and youngest child. His oldest son passed away recently.

Atlanta Public Schools, Tamara Jones

Atlanta Civic Circle, Tamara Jones

Tamara has lived in Atlanta for 27 years. She has a bachelor's degree from Wake Forest University and a master's in architecture from Georgia Tech University. She lives with her husband, Mark, in Inman Park. They have three children: two graduates and a high schooler.

Tamara is a self-employed architect and urban planner.

Tamara Jones is currently a city board of education member representing District 7 At-Large. She was first elected in 2021 and has been in office for one term.

Said, "...the board cannot balance the budget at the expense of pushing out existing residents due to tax increases on rising property values. "

Wants to consider new ways to generate revenue, like renting facilities and exploring innovative ways to use vacant properties.

Plans to evaluate the effectiveness of expenditures to find areas for potential savings.

- Said, "...the board cannot balance the budget at the expense of pushing out existing residents due to tax increases on rising property values. "
- Wants to consider new ways to generate revenue, like renting facilities and exploring innovative ways to use vacant properties.
- Plans to evaluate the effectiveness of expenditures to find areas for potential savings.

Said, "Every child can learn to read. If we fail to teach reading, we fail to provide adequate education."

Wants to introduce curriculum that teaches students academic skills and financial literacy.

Advocates for identifying the needs of individual students, schools, communities, and clusters and crafting strategies and resources to address those needs.

- Said, "Every child can learn to read. If we fail to teach reading, we fail to provide adequate education."
- Wants to introduce curriculum that teaches students academic skills and financial literacy.
- Advocates for identifying the needs of individual students, schools, communities, and clusters and crafting strategies and resources to address those needs.

Plans to create a comprehensive wellness strategy that includes social and emotional learning, mental health, nutrition, physical health, social workers, etc.

Supports devoting resources to and working with communities to determine barriers to attendance in order to address and remove them.

Advocates for a strong working relationship with neighborhoods and Neighborhood Planning Units (NPUs).

Wants to create an engagement infrastructure that is authentic, reliable, and equitable.

- Plans to create a comprehensive wellness strategy that includes social and emotional learning, mental health, nutrition, physical health, social workers, etc.
- Supports devoting resources to and working with communities to determine barriers to attendance in order to address and remove them.
- Advocates for a strong working relationship with neighborhoods and Neighborhood Planning Units (NPUs).
- Wants to create an engagement infrastructure that is authentic, reliable, and equitable.

Wants the Board of Education to ensure that each school's Emergency Operations Plan is fully developed and shared with the community, so they will know what to expect.

- Wants the Board of Education to ensure that each school's Emergency Operations Plan is fully developed and shared with the community, so they will know what to expect.

Tamara Jones

- Said, "Every child can learn to read. If we fail to teach reading, we fail to provide adequate education."
- Wants to curriculum that teaches students academic skills and financial literacy.
- Advocates for identifying the needs of individual students, schools, communities, and clusters and crafting strategies and resources to address those needs.

- Wants the Board of Education should ensure that each school's Emergency Operations Plan is fully developed and are shared with the community so they will know what to expect.

Atlanta Civic Circle, William Sardin

William is originally from Chattanooga, Tennessee. He has a bachelor's degree in nursing from Emory University. He is a single father of three.

William owns a business, Flexcare Staffing. He worked in nursing for 30 years, and he served as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force.

William Sardin’s campaign for the board of education is his first entry into politics.

Supports raising salaries for teachers in order to be more competitive and to keep up with the cost of living.

Said, "I think the main concern with the Atlanta residents is whether they are getting value for the tax dollars. If they feel that the school system is education and caring for our students, most residents are satisfied."

- Supports raising salaries for teachers in order to be more competitive and to keep up with the cost of living.
- Wants to hire more support staff.
- Said, "I think the main concern with the Atlanta residents is whether they are getting value for the tax dollars. If they feel that the school system is education and caring for our students, most residents are satisfied."

Believes that "one of the biggest shortfalls is that schools in less advantaged districts are not meeting academic standards."

Wants poor performing schools to be improved in order to meet national standards.

Supports improving reading and math by requiring students below the proficient level to attend an intense before or after school program to get them to grade level.

Wants the board to partner "with an organization such as the PTA for suggestions and ideas regarding curriculum."

- Believes that "one of the biggest shortfalls is that schools in less advantaged districts are not meeting academic standards."
- Wants poor performing schools to be improved in order to meet national standards.
- Supports improving reading and math by requiring students below the proficient level to attend an intense before or after school program to get them to grade level.
- Wants the board to partner "with an organization such as the PTA for suggestions and ideas regarding curriculum."

Wants to provide resources for at-risk students.

Supports having more counselors at schools for early intervention into mental health crises.

Wants more resources for students with disabilities, including more teachers and support staff training for student with disabilities.

- Wants to provide resources for at-risk students.
- Supports having more counselors at schools for early intervention into mental health crises.
- Wants more resources for students with disabilities, including more teachers and support staff training for student with disabilities.

Supports adding more resource officers in schools.

Wants to address school overcrowding to improve student performance and discipline.

- Supports adding more resource officers in schools.
- Wants to address school overcrowding to improve student performance and discipline.

William "Will" Sardin

As of September 6, 2023, William "Will" Sardin did not have a website or publicly available contact information in order for us to send them our questionnaire.

As of October 13, 2023, William "Will" Sardin’s website did not contain information on this issue and William "Will" Sardin did not complete our questionnaire.

As of August 28, 2023, William "Will" Sardin’s website did not contain information on this issue and William "Will" Sardin did not complete our questionnaire.

As of September 2, 2023, William "Will" Sardin did not have a website or publicly available contact information in order for us to send them our questionnaire.

As of September 1, 2023, William "Will" Sardin did not have a website or publicly available contact information in order for us to send them our questionnaire.

William Sardin

- The Board of Education runs the public school system, and it is entirely independent from the rest of the city government. 
- Board of Education members work together to make school policy, set the budget, and appoint the superintendent to run the schools day to day. 
- Some Board of Education members are elected by the entire city, while others represent specific districts. 
- Board of Education members are elected to four-year terms in nonpartisan elections.


Atlanta Board of Education Member, District 7 At-Large

Election results

Runoff election

Candidates (3)

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Taxes & Budget

School Curriculum

School Facilities & Resources

School Safety & Discipline