Want Atlanta Public Schools To Get Better? Get Involved

The kids of Hope-Hill Elementary School in the Old Fourth Ward were in store for a cool treat Friday.

Marking the end of the first full week since school started, John Baiyewu, owner of the Kirkwood-based Pop Shop, handed out frozen chocolate and natural fruit treats.

Though a small gesture — much appreciated by the kids as evidenced by their smiles and coos of "mmm" — Baiyewu said he wanted to show the kids they mattered.

"We love working with kids all the time and being in the community so we decided to do it," he said, adding he'll be making stops at other schools.

Atlanta Public Schools have had a rocky couple of years culminating in a that said the district tolerated a culture of cheating on standardized tests, calling into question the reality of student achievement.

In his way, Baiyewu said he wanted to show and share something positive with the children.

"The good thing about what we can do as a Pop Shop is represent small businesses ad show that there are people still doing positive things in the community and still working with the school system, still working with children, and show them there's still positivity going on," Baiyewu said.

Atlanta City Councilman Kwanza Hall, whose District 2 includes the Old Fourth Ward, echoed those sentiments, saying parents and prospective parents shouldn't flee the district in the wake of the scandal.

"The school system is saying 'hey, come help us,' " he said, adding more parents and non-parents alike should connect with their local neighborhood schools.

A product of an APS education himself as were his children, Hall said pioneers who moved in and revitalized many of Atlanta 's in-town neighborhoods, shouldn't turn around and abandon the district now.

Even as a councilman, he said felt the same culture of aloofness from APS that other parents said they experienced.

But he said the district has no choice to open up now, giving parents and all who are interested in school improvement to give their input and help shape the district.

"The doors got closed to the grassroots and to change actually happening at a grassroots level," Hall said. "Now, in light of all the things that have happened, the door is back open; it's wide open.

"This is time for all of us who are pioneers, folks who can see the vision of how great Atlanta can be, to embrace the schools. This is the time for us to double our efforts, to triple our efforts."