Atlanta School Upcoming GO Team Elections, explained – Capital B News

Another Atlanta Public Schools election season is around the corner, and this time community stakeholders will have the opportunity to vote for a hyper-local advisory council that relies on parents, educators, community leaders, and students to inform the Atlanta Board of Education of happenings on the school level. 

Similar to the city of Atlanta’s Neighborhood Planning Units, APS GO Teams, known formally as Local School Governance Teams, are restructured versions of the former local school councils embedded within each APS school. They exist to give parents, educators, and students the opportunity to hold policymakers accountable by advising the nine-member school board on exactly what is happening inside the hallways.

“This​ model helps ​the community, school leaders, and teachers​ work together to​ ​​address the unique needs of ​every student,” said Adah Pittman-DeLancey, vice president of community impact strategy for redefinED atlanta, a local education nonprofit.  

GO Teams elections are typically held in April, so Capital B ATL broke down some questions you may have about GO Teams and how they bridge the gap between the community and school board. Here’s what you need to know.

What are GO Teams?

GO Teams, or Local School Governance Teams, are typically a nine-body board that works alongside the school principal, providing input on issues such as strategic planning, budgets, and curriculum.

GO Teams also play a vital role in hiring and evaluating the school’s principal.

How are GO Teams constructed?

Each team consists of three parents, three instructional staff members, two community members, and one swing seat. Candidates for the swing seat are nominated by the elected GO Team members and may be teachers, instructional support staff members, parents, business partners, or general interest community members. For GO Teams in APS high schools, one student is also selected to the board.

Each school’s principal is also an ex-officio member of the team but holds no voting power. Instead, the principal is responsible for finding ways to best implement GO Team observations when necessary and managing the actions taken by the team on the school level. 

One team member will also be elected to serve as the Cluster Advisory Team representative, along with elected Go Team members from neighboring schools within their cluster.

So, what’s a Cluster Advisory Team?

We’re glad you asked. Atlanta Public Schools are organized into groups called clusters, based on their geographic location in the district. Cluster Advisory Teams are responsible for maintaining and updating a cluster-wide strategic plan, reviewing the School-based Solution (SBS) proposals and responding to cluster-level support requests to accomplish school goals. 

The advisory team includes a principal or leadership team designee, one elected Go Team member, one designated representative from each charter school with an enrollment focus in the area, and up to three cluster-wide community partners. 

Who can run for GO Teams?

First, think of GO Teams as something like a more formalized PTA: You won’t see these candidates on your primary or general election ballot. Instead, the elections are conducted internally within each school. That doesn’t render them any less significant; the entire point is to formalize the community input process.

Parents and community members can run for open Go Team positions at their selected school of choice. Deadlines for this year’s election declarations passed on Feb. 29.

In order to run for a parent seat, you must have a child who is attending the school at least during the first half of your term. Community members are individuals who are invested in the school or the neighborhoods it serves in some way and may be representatives of existing or new partner organizations, alumni, or concerned, engaged citizens. 

Terms are for one year, with the chance to run for no more than two consecutive terms. Full-time APS employees, excluding eligible teachers, cannot run.

Do we vote for every position on GO Teams?

No. Your status as a parent or a part of the school’s instructional staff determines which seats you vote for. 

Seats held by parents must be elected by the school’s parent community, and seats held by instructional staff will be elected by school staff. 

How many times a year will my school’s GO Team meet, and how can I attend? 

Go Teams should meet at least six times per school year. Meetings are open to the public and will be recorded and placed on the specific Go Team’s website after each meeting. 

To see when your GO Team meets, you can head to the APS website and select your child’s school. 

How can I find out more about GO Teams?

Head to the GO Teams Member Resources tab on the APS website to find the GO Teams Handbook and work session resources for meeting.