Another seat has opened up in the Atlanta Board of Education elections. Aretta Baldon, who holds the District 2 seat representing West Atlanta, is not seeking reelection, she told Atlanta Civic Circle on Tuesday.
“It’s been the most impactful work of my life,” said Baldon, who has been a school board member since 2020. “I feel like it’s time to pass the baton to fresh energy to carry this work forward.”
Her advice to her successor: “Lead with integrity” and “keep students at the center of every decision.”
So far, two candidates are vying to replace her for a four-year term:
Tony Mitchell, a charter-school parent and director of state government affairs for Gilead Sciences. Mitchell reported raising $67,700 as of June 30.
Stephen Owens, a director of policy and advocacy at Brown’s Promise and foster parent. Owens reported raising $9,700 as of June 30.
UPDATE: Marlissa Crawford, a third candidate, filed the recquisite paperwork to be on the ballot. According to her Linkedin profile, Crawford is a Delta flight attendant and small business owner.
Baldon said she is not endorsing anyone at the moment. “I’ll keep an eye on what’s going on, but as of right now, I’m staying out of it, and I’m committed to finishing strong,” she said. Balson owns her own photography and marketing business, Shades of Light.
The four even‑numbered school board seats, for Districts 2, 4, 6 and At‑Large Seat 8, are up for election on Nov. 4. Along with the District 2 seat, the At-Large Seat 8 post is also open, following Cynthia Briscoe Brown’s decision to not run for a fourth term.
Currently, there are three candidates vying to replace Brown: Kaycee Brock, a college counselor and former first-grade teacher; Royce Mann, an education activist and recent Emory University graduate who ran in 2021; and Aisha Allen Stith, a social media professional.
The Atlanta Board of Education is made up of nine members who oversee Atlanta Public Schools. They hire the school superintendent, approve the school system’s roughly $1.84 billion budget, set its property tax rate for city of Atlanta residents, and decide which schools to open, close, or convert to charters.
If you want to run for a school board seat, you’d better hurry. The qualifying period for municipal elections candidates opened Tuesday and runs through Friday. To qualify for the ballot, candidates must pay a fee at the Municipal Clerk’s office between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. For mayor, it’s $6,082, which drops to $2,232 for city council president, $2,171 for city council seats, and $900 to run for the school board.
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