APRIL NEWSLETTER
April 2, 2026
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Ethos Classical Charter School Named
2026 Georgia Charter School of the Year
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Ethos Classical Charter School (Ethos Classical) was named the 2026 Georgia Charter School of the Year at the Georgia Charter Schools Association’s (GCSA) 23rd annual Georgia Charter Schools Conference on March 11. The conference is the only statewide gathering of charter school leaders, board members, educators, petitioners, and authorizers.
Ethos Classical was recognized for strong academic growth and consistent performance compared to schools nearby and across the state. The award includes a $5,000 prize for educational use sponsored by the Facility Resource Center. The school is located in Fulton County and is authorized to serve students in grades K-8 from Atlanta Public Schools, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, and Fulton County school districts.
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Georgia Charter School Awards
The conference also recognizes schools for excellence in leadership, teaching, and student achievement. State Charter Schools were selected for every award at the 2026 Georgia Charter Schools Conference.
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Leader of the Year: Neal Christian, Superintendent of BIA Charter School
Christian received the 2026 Charter Leader of the Year Award for building a culture of high expectations and whole-child development through rigorous instruction and data-driven decision-making. Under his leadership, students have posted Georgia Milestones performance above district and state averages.
BIA Charter School is located in Gwinnett County and serves students in grades K-8 statewide.
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Teacher of the Year: Derrick Hood, Math Teacher and Academic Advisor at The Anchor School
Hood received the 2026 Charter School Teacher of the Year Award for innovative, student-centered instruction that emphasizes critical thinking, collaboration, and real-world problem-solving. He takes a holistic approach to student development, including mentoring programs in boxing and computer science.
The Anchor School is located in DeKalb County and serves students in grades 6-8 statewide.
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Moving Mountains Award: DeKalb Brilliance Academy
The 2026 Moving Mountains Award was awarded for significant student achievement gains over three years, including dramatic growth in early literacy and measurable increases in math and ELA proficiency. The school credited this progress to a two-teacher reading model grounded in the science of reading, project-based learning, and a culture of high expectations.
DeKalb Brilliance Academy is located in DeKalb County and serves students in grades K-6 from Atlanta Public Schools and the DeKalb County School District.
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SOAR Award: Cherokee Classical Academy
The 2026 SOAR Award was awarded for demonstrating exceptional promise, performance, and innovation within its first five years. The school has achieved notable milestones since opening in the fall of 2025, including a 98.7 percent student retention rate and 95 percent staff return commitments for the 2026-27 school year, and hands-on learning experiences and outreach, as well as a visit from the Second Lady of the United States.
Cherokee Classical Academy is located in Cherokee County and is authorized to serve students in grades K-8 from Atlanta Public Schools, the City of Cartersville and Marietta, and the Cherokee, Cobb, Bartow, Fulton, Paulding, and Pickens County school districts.
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SCSC Staff Present at Conference
Three SCSC teams led sessions at the GCSA conference on finance, federal grants, and compliance.
| | Carmen Freemire, Senior Director of Finance, and Annie Chen, Financial Operations Manager, presented "Ready to Team Up with a Financial Services Provider? Let's Make It Count!" sharing guidance for governing boards and school leaders on selecting and working with financial services providers. | | Michele Neely, Senior Director of School Support and Outreach, and Molly Gassman, School Support and Outreach Manager, presented "CSP SE Grant Update: Learn About Subgrant and TA Programs to Support Your School!" providing updates on Georgia's CSP State Entity grant, including technical assistance and subgrant opportunities. | | |
Allen Mueller, Senior Director of the Office of Charter School Compliance, presented "What Do Recent State Board Rule Changes Mean to Me?" reviewing recent State Board of Education rule updates and how the changes affect petitioners, charter schools, authorizers, and school districts.
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Ivy Prep Academy “Spice Girls” Win
Middle School Student Chef Competition
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Ivy Prep Academy's “Spice Girls” team won the 2026 Middle School Student Chef Competition for the second consecutive year, with their Apple Cinnamon Breakfast Slider recipe.
The student chefs, Meela Leonard, Alani McLaughlin, Levi Polk, and Ava Richmond, developed the concept with teacher advisor Kambreya Hardeman. The recipe required at least one Georgia Grown food item and had to meet specific nutritional parameters. As winners, the Georgia Department of Education's culinary specialists adapted the students' concept into a standardized recipe, the "French Toast Apple Sausage Sando," to serve hundreds of students as part of school breakfast.
The competition is part of the Georgia Department of Education’s Fueling Georgia’s Future Student Chef Competition, which introduces students to how school nutrition professionals plan, source, and prepare meals that can be served at scale.
Ivy Prep Academy is located in DeKalb County and serves students in grades K-8 from Atlanta Public Schools, Clayton, DeKalb, and Fulton County school districts.
| | Odyssey Charter School Earns Ready Georgia Seal of Preparedness | | |
Odyssey Charter School earned the Ready Georgia Seal of Preparedness from the Georgia Department of Education and the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency for the 2025-26 school year. The seal recognizes a school's comprehensive approach to safety planning and emergency preparedness.
To be awarded, schools must meet specific criteria in six areas: emergency operations planning, drills and exercises, staff training, and security interventions, including a behavioral threat assessment and management team, safety technology, and data analysis of school climate and discipline to identify and address risks.
The annual recognition validates the school's proactive approach to creating a secure environment that safeguards students, faculty, and staff.
| Odyssey Charter School is located in Coweta County and serves students in grades K-8 from Coweta, Meriwether, Carroll, Douglas, Fulton, Fayette, Heard, and Troup counties. | | Atlanta School Choice Expo Draws Hundreds of Families | | |
SCSC staff joined 36 charter schools at the 2026 Atlanta School Choice Expo on March 14 in Downtown Atlanta. The event connected hundreds of families with more than 80 schools and organizations offering traditional public, public charter, microschool, private school, and homeschooling options across Metro Atlanta.
Executive Director Donovan Head and Communications Specialist Erica Acha-Morfaw presented "Charter School 101" sessions to families and connected families directly with charter schools immediately following the presentations.
The SCSC also hosted a table featuring the FindaGaCharter.org School Finder Tool, where Senior Director of Finance Carmen Freemire and School Support & Outreach Coordinator Naquita Smith answered questions to help families discover charter school options.
| | | The expo, hosted by GeorgiaCAN in collaboration with the National School Choice Awareness Foundation, also featured information from local organizations about learning options and resources, student performances, and family activities. The SCSC is a part of the planning committee, as well as other charter school partners like the Georgia Charter Schools Association. | |
Student Leaders Represent Schools
D.E.L.T.A. STEAM Academy (D.E.L.T.A. STEAM) and Ethos Classical brought student ambassadors to share firsthand perspectives with prospective families at the Atlanta School Choice Expo.
| | (back row, L–R): Alexander-Daniel Castin (8th grade) and Justice Dobbs (5th grade); (front row, L–R): Riley King and Zy’Kari Heard (2nd grade) | |
D.E.L.T.A. STEAM was represented by members of its Student Principal's Council, which represents the school's student body and serves as the students' voice to the principal. One of the ambassadors, fifth-grader Justice, also delivered a speech about her academic and career aspirations.
D.E.L.T.A. STEAM Academy is located in Douglas County and serves students in grades K-8 from Carroll, Douglas, Paulding, South Cobb, and South Fulton County school districts.
| | (L-R) Jayden Davis,Amari Mason, Jaya Buycks, Daelyn Small, and A’Meah Dennis | |
Ethos Classical was represented by its Junior Blue Jay Ambassadors, fourth-grade scholars selected to uphold the school's mission and values.
Junior Blue Jay Ambassadors foster scholar engagement and leadership by serving as exemplary models at school and community events.
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Staff Spotlight: Michele Neely and Molly Gassman Present at National CSP Project Directors Meeting | Gassman and Neely with representatives from 22Beacon and the Louisiana Department of Education | |
Senior Director of School Support & Outreach Michele Neely and School Support & Outreach Manager Molly Gassman represented Georgia at the Charter Schools Program (CSP) Project Directors' Meeting held March 17-19 in Washington, D.C.
Georgia's CSP State Entity (SE) Grant was selected as one of six grantees featured in the inaugural "Shark Tank”-style presentation, where Neely and Gassman shared the state's charter school work through a video produced by the U.S. Department of Education. The video was filmed at The Anchor School in studios funded in part with CSP SE subgrant funds. As a part of the “Shark Tank,” conference attendees voted on which grantees they wanted to learn more about during the following day's general session.
The SCSC was one of three grantees selected to present during the general session to CSP grantees from across the country and leaders from the U.S. Department of Education. Neely and Gassman delivered a presentation about Georgia's CSP SE Grant and the coordinated efforts in the state to support charter schools.
Watch the video
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Share Your School's Story
State charter schools across Georgia are making an impact –
We want to promote your story!
We invite state charter schools to submit accomplishments, milestones, and program highlights for consideration in future features. Email your updates to erica.achamorfaw@scsc.georgia.gov.
| | The State Charter Schools Commission of Georgia (SCSC) is a state-level, independent charter school authorizing entity. The SCSC has the power to approve or deny petitions for state charter schools and renew, nonrenew, or terminate state charter school contracts in accordance with Georgia law. | | Copyright © 2026 State Charter Schools Commission of Georgia, All rights reserved. | | | | |
