Four students were shot at Benjamin E. Mays High School in Atlanta shortly after school was dismissed, with the victims sustaining non-life-threatening injuries. President Joe Biden addressed the incident, emphasizing the need to address the epidemic of gun violence. This shooting follows a previous incident at McEachern High School and the tragic killing of student Bre’Asia Powell. Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens expressed his sadness over the shooting and reaffirmed his commitment to addressing youth violence.
Four students were shot outside Benjamin E. Mays High School in Atlanta shortly after dismissal, with the gunfire coming from a vehicle in the campus parking lot. The students sustained non-life-threatening wounds and were taken to a local hospital, while no other individuals were injured. The Atlanta Public Schools Police Department and Atlanta Fire Rescue responded to the scene, and the shooting is currently under investigation.
Atlanta Public Schools initially included the state's $1,000 teacher bonus in their employees' holiday retention bonus, sparking criticism from Georgia State School Superintendent Richard Woods. After facing pushback, the district has stated that they will distribute the additional funds once clarification is provided on which categories of employees should be covered by the bonus. The school district is currently waiting for guidance from the governor's office or the Georgia Department of Education on the matter.
Atlanta Public Schools (APS) faced criticism after including the governor's announced $1,000 bonus for education employees in their Dec. 14 paycheck as a holiday retention bonus, intending to use the funds to backfill their budget. The state school superintendent called APS's decision "inconceivable" and "baffling," urging them to give teachers the promised bonus. In response to the pushback, APS stated they would pass along any additional funds once clarification is provided on which employees should be covered. The district is waiting for guidance from the governor's office or the Georgia Department of Education on the distribution of the bonuses.
The state superintendent of Georgia's Department of Education, Richard Woods, expressed his confusion and disappointment in a letter to Atlanta Public Schools (APS) after learning that APS teachers and support staff would not be receiving the $1,000 retention bonus announced by Governor Brian Kemp. APS had already included a similar payment in their employees' December paychecks, leading to frustration and confusion among educators. Woods criticized APS for not aligning with the timing of past retention payments and questioned their decision to pre-emptively distribute the funds. APS responded by stating that they wanted to reward their employees before the holiday break and would pass along any additional funds once clarification is provided on which categories of employees should be covered by the bonus.
