- July 28, 2026
- Category: Blog Post
- Tags: Atlanta Public Schools, Clayton County, Cobb County, Gwinnett County, Schools
- By: Angira Sceusi
RedefinED Atlanta is supporting the launch of 3 schools for the 26-27 school year, as a part of its goal to expand access to trajectory-changing public schools for 12,000 additional students. It has been so exciting to see several schools opening across the Metro Atlanta area this summer, giving more students and families access to high-quality options. Among those schools are:
While these schools are very different, they have a few important core similarities:
- They serve 6th-12th-grade students, which will address a growing demand for middle and high schools;
- They are serving communities that historically haven’t had access to many high-quality options, and
- They were co-designed with the local communities, ensuring a strong alignment between school offerings and community needs.
It was these similarities that drove RedefinED Atlanta to support the launch of these and other schools across Metro Atlanta. While the direct support we offer varies by school, it is part of our mission to enable a system where innovative and successful schools can launch and grow successfully. Some examples of the ways we accomplish this are:
- Identifying promising school leaders or models and investing in their growth;
- Establishing a high-quality teacher certification pathway;
- Providing technical assistance, including planning and petition support;
- Building long-term public support for innovative, high-quality public school options;
- Partnering with schools to enhance instructional culture and data-informed instructional practices;
- Establishing a pipeline for long-term policy work to support public schools; and
- Raising and leveraging philanthropic dollars to support ecosystem priorities.
When I first came on as the Executive Director of RedefinED Atlanta, I envisioned a future where stopgap programs would no longer be needed to provide a great public education for all students. We would work toward this vision by expanding our work to grow great public schools, develop and retain strong school-level talent, and engage communities in education advocacy.
I see these school openings as an important milestone on our journey. They represent the strong shared belief of our community in the potential of its students; they represent a shared commitment to innovation; they represent the culmination of years of investment in systems that will drive the long-term success of our children. The launch of these schools brings us just one step closer to the future I imagined because they aren’t launching in a silo. Instead, they are launching within a system of mutual support.
Let’s keep walking together. Subscribe to our newsletter to learn what’s happening in our community and ways to get involved!
Part II: Math Is Improving. A Closer Look at the Schools Behind the Gains
- October 1, 2026
A City Changing: Setting the Stage for Change
- September 21, 2026
Part I: What This Year’s GA Milestones Math Results Reveal Across Metro Atlanta
- September 3, 2026
Dr. Keith Colbert
Dr. Keith A. Colbert has served in the Clayton County Public Schools (CCPS) system since 1998, starting his career as a fourth-grade teacher at Northcutt Elementary School. After a two-year tenure at Northcutt Elementary, he transferred to Morrow High School, where he served as a math teacher, special education teacher, and assistant head basketball coach. To gain insightful leadership experience, Dr. Colbert shadowed the administrative team, gained useful school leadership experience, and obtained a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Troy State University.
Dr. Colbert was selected as assistant principal of Mundy’s Mill High School (MMHS) in 2003 under the leadership of Dr. Anthony W. Smith. During his tenure at MMHS, he was instrumental in preparing the first class to graduate from the newly constructed school.
Dr. Colbert was recognized as a future principal leader in the district and was selected as one of twelve future leaders to participate in the principal preparation program, “A Forward-LEAP.” After completing this program, Dr. Colbert was appointed principal of Lovejoy Middle School in 2006, where he led more than 1,400 students. At the time, Lovejoy Middle School was the largest middle school in the district and considered underperforming. Dr. Colbert and his team led the school to substantial improvements in student achievement and were consequently selected as the 2008 Georgia PTSA Principal of the Year.
Driven to nurture a class of students from 6th grade to graduation, Dr. Colbert was appointed principal of Lovejoy High School in July 2009, where he served for seven years. He is one of the few principals in traditional high schools who is fortunate to have guided sixth graders to graduation with the Class of 2013. During his tenure at Lovejoy High School, the school was recognized as a Title I Rewards school in 2012 and 2013, SAT’s greatest gains school in 2012, and a USA News top high school in 2011. Dr. Colbert’s achievements led to a finalist for Principal of the Year for Clayton County Public Schools in 2011 and 2013.
In June of 2016, Dr. Keith A. Colbert was appointed Assistant Superintendent of Schools for Clayton County Public Schools.
Cayanna Good, Ph.D.
Dr. Cayanna Good serves as Deputy Commissioner for Innovation and Impact at the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG), where she leads systemwide strategic planning and drives organizational improvement across all institutional pillars.Previously, she served as Assistant Commissioner for the Office of Adult Education, overseeing statewide literacy initiatives, workforce alignment, and Georgia’s high school equivalency credentialing program.
Before joining TCSG, Dr. Good held leadership roles at the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement, the Georgia Department of Education, Teach For America, and TNTP. Her career began in the classroom in Houston — an experience that continues to ground her unwavering commitment to equity, access, and opportunity for all learners.
Dr. Good earned her bachelor’s degree from Fisk University, her master’s from Georgia State University, and her doctorate from Mercer University. She serves as Chairperson of the State Charter School Commission, she is a member of the Georgia Commission for Service and Volunteerism, a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and a member of the Brookwood High School Local School Council.
