A Case Study of the Role of a School in a Community Undergoing Rapid Gentrification

• In Event: School Turnaround and Reform (STaR): Community Schools

Abstract

Atlanta, the fourth-fastest gentrifying city in the United States, is comprised of neighborhoods close to the city center and seat of urban wealth, that suffer from high poverty rates, unemployment, and low literacy rates. One neighborhood school has been ranked as one of the lowest in the state. To combat historical under-performance, Atlanta Public Schools (APS) created an initiative that regenerated the community in the face of gentrification. The purpose of this case study using interviews and survey data with thematic content analysis was to understand the role of school district leadership in the creation of a new framework, replacing the original public school with a long record of failure.

Authors

• Carol A. Isaac, Mercer University

• Arla Bernstein, Mercer University

• Joseph L. Balloun, Mercer University