One day after reports named Dr. Calvin J. Watts as 1 of 3 final candidates for the superintendent role in Atlanta Public Schools, Watts reassured the community he was staying in Gwinnett County Schools.
The letter came after news broke last night that Watts was one of the final three candidates for the Atlanta Public Schools superintendent position.
Watts, who came to Gwinnett County Schools in 2021 and received a contract extension in 2023, admitted that the search firm for Atlanta Public Schools reached out to him to “meet with the Board of Education” and “a public committee” on Tuesday, June 11.
Watts detailed in the letter that he met with both groups but ultimately has decided that “my home is Gwinnett County Public Schools, and I will continue to serve as your superintendent.
He thanked the Atlanta Board of Education but wanted to focus on the “tremendous progress in our strategic plan to provide each and every student with the education they need and deserve.”
Watts has been the superintendent of the largest school district in Georgia since 2021 and has helped lead the district through the COVID pandemic and criticism of his handling of school violence post-pandemic.
Originally from Seattle, Dr. Calvin J. Watts spent 13 years in Gwinnett County Schools before assuming the role of Superintendent with most recently being the assistant superintendent of school improvement and operations. Before coming back to Gwinnett County Schools, he was the superintendent at Kent School District in Washington state.
Dr. Watt’s current contract will run through June 30, 2025.