Atlanta, GA
Atlanta Public Schools should think twice before closing Dunbar Elementary
Atlanta is investing in revitalizing neighborhoods like Mechanicsville. Closing Dunbar would undermine principles of equity and community.
Jared Hill, a second grade teacher at Dunbar Elementary School, leads students in the annual Storybook Character Parade. The parade features students and faculty dressed in costume. (File/AJC 2016)
By Jason Dozier – For The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
1 hour ago
Editor’s Note: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is running a series of guest essays about APS Forward 2040, the long-range plan under discussion in Atlanta Public Schools to reshape its future. Here is another selection in these essays.
Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School is the heart of Mechanicsville — a refuge, a gathering place and a symbol of resilience for a community that has endured decades of disinvestment and displacement.
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Jason Dozier is a Paul L. Dunbar parent and represents District 4 on the Atlanta City Council. (Courtesy of Jason Dozier)
Safety, parental involvement risks
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Closing Dunbar would send the wrong message
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APS officials can look to master plan for solutions to keeping Dunbar open
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