Shaun Kleber, Grady alumnus and 2011-2012 co-managing editor of Grady’s newspaper The Southerner, received the David S. Barr Award at The Newspaper Guild-Communication Workers of American Freedom Fund Award Banquet. Kleber presented a phenomenal speech prior to accepting his award among professional award-winning journalists from The Miami Herald, The New York Times, and National Public Radio. Kleber’s winning story, “Pencil Me Out,” was among five stories to be honored that night, and he is the third reporter from The Southerner to win the David S. Barr award in the past 6 years. This event is a major highlight for APS as we celebrate award-winning leaders who brighten the road of success for Grady’s journalism students.
National Public Radio
Two legendary APS figures are remembered this month for making history
One of the most rewarding parts of spreading the good news about what’s going on around Atlanta Public Schools is you often get to learn, and share, fascinating history lessons that show the district’s place in the growth of Atlanta and beyond. That’s why this week it was so fun to learn of two distinct figures in APS history getting their due.
Both Charlayne Hunter-Gault and Mary Frances Early made a remarkable impact as being two of the first African Americans to integrate the University of Georgia (UGA). Hunter-Gault joined Hamilton E. Holmes as the first two African-American students to integrate UGA in 1961, while Early (who entered soon after as a grad student) became the first African American to graduate from UGA. All three were graduates of APS’ now-defunct Henry McNeal Turner High School.
But they didn’t stop making history in Athens. They all have gone on to carve their own respective niches in history. As relayed in this touching piece Friday morning on National Public Radio (NPR), Charlayne Hunter-Gault went on to become an excellent journalist, for with the New Yorker, then with the New York Times, and later with NPR and CNN.
The APS community may be even more familar with Mary Frances Early, who earned her master’s in music education in 1962, taught music, band and chorus in Atlanta Public Schools for 37 years. She retired from the system in 1994, only to start a second career as a college educator with stops at Spelman, Morehouse and Clark Atlanta before retiring in 2005.
According to a press release Thursday from UGA’s press office, Early will be honored for her achivements with a reception on Thursday, Jan. 13, in the cafeteria of J.J. Harris Elementary Charter School in Athens.
Snapshots from the Grove Park Elementary playground build, courtesy of The Home Depot Foundation and KaBOOM!
We had such a great time checking out the new playground build at Grove Park Elementary, thanks to a partnership with The Home Depot Foundation and of course the fine work of KaBOOM! We also were thrilled to wake up the next morning to an NPR profile of KaBOOM!, so it’s nice to know great minds think alike. Here are some photos from the final product; we’ll be posting a separate photo gallery of the build (from start to finish) as soon as we get them.
Here’s a round-up of national news coverage of President Barack Obama’s speech today to schoolchildren …
New York Times: Obama coaches students to ‘get serious’ and study
Education Week: Obama urges students to hit the books, persevere
Washington Post: Obama lectures to students on virtues of hard work
Los Angeles Times: Obama tries to motivate students with speech
National Public Radio: Obama stresses responsibility in school pep talk
Associated Press (via AJC): Obama advises caution in what kids put on Facebook