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AUSTIN, Texas—The º£½ÇÉçÇø released the following statement from Superintendent Meria Carstarphen on being named the new superintendent of Atlanta Public Schools today, April 14:

I would like to thank º£½ÇÉçÇø—all of our students, families, teachers, principals and team members—the district’s trustees and the Austin community for your support during the past five years. No superintendent does this work alone, and I have been fortunate to work with you toward a common goal—providing a quality education for every student and a supportive environment for our dedicated º£½ÇÉçÇø staff.

º£½ÇÉçÇø is on a solid path. Together, we have ensured the district has built strong momentum and support for the expansion of social and emotional learning to every school, realized a dramatic decrease in disciplinary referrals for African-American and special education students, and achieved an all-time high graduation rate of 82.5 percent. I am proud of the progress º£½ÇÉçÇø has made during my tenure, and confident that it will continue in the years ahead.

As a daughter of the Deep South, I look forward to joining the Atlanta community and helping to rebuild Atlanta Public Schools. But, I will miss Austin. When you love something, it is hard to let go. I love º£½ÇÉçÇø and Austin.

It has been a true honor to serve with an amazing team as Austin’s superintendent.

Media Availability with º£½ÇÉçÇø Board President: Vincent Torres, president of the Board of Trustees, will be available to answer questions about º£½ÇÉçÇø’s next steps at 6 p.m. Monday, April 14, at the Carruth Administration Center, 1111 W. 6^th St., Board Auditorium.