Education
For the last several years, state and local leaders have been taking a tough look at the state’s educational systems. Out of their brainstorming, many positive changes have occurred. Thanks to the proceeds of the Georgia Lottery, more high school students than ever are attending state colleges and universities for free via the HOPE Scholarship, and prekindergarten programs are preparing 3- and 4-year-olds to enter school as successful students. Many counties have explored and supported the idea of charter schools, privately managed neighborhood institutions where parents are intensely involved partners in their children’s studies. In between, opportunities abound in a number of outstanding public and private schools and several top-notch colleges and universities, from Emory to Georgia Tech.
City: Atlanta, GA
Category: Education
Address: 130 Trinity Ave.
City: Atlanta, GA
Category: Education
Address: 514 Glover St.
City: Atlanta, GA
Category: Education
Address: 3770 North Decatur Rd.
City: Atlanta, GA
Category: Education
Address: 786 Cleveland Ave. SW
City: Atlanta, GA
Category: Education
Address: 52 Gwinnett Dr.
6. Georgia Department of Education
City: Atlanta, GA
Category: Education
Telephone: (404) 656-2800
Description: For the past few years, the state legislature and the governor’s office have been deeply involved in education issues, leading to some sudden and sometimes unexpected changes in the way our schools operate. The state offices maintain a website with detailed information about educational systems as well as individual schools. Test results, personnel profiles, and even attendance data are included.
7. Shreiner Academy
City: Atlanta, GA
Category: Education
Telephone: (770) 953-1340
Address: 1340 Terrell Mill Rd.
Description: This eight-acre facility, with a pool and performing arts center, was founded in 1980 for preschool through grade eight. The accelerated curriculum focuses on traditional academics. With about 300 students, the school features foreign language and computer instruction, among many other offerings. Preschool for 2-year-olds and summer camps are also offered. The student-teacher ratio is about 15 to 1 in the elementary and preschool classes; it’s 10 to 1 in the middle and high school.
8. The Walker School
City: Atlanta, GA
Category: Education
Address: 700 Cobb Pkwy. N
Description: Since it opened in 1957, this independent day school has focused on a college-prep program for its students. The more than 1,000 students served are from 4-year-old kindergartners through 12th graders. The student-teacher ratio is about 14 to 1. Campus features include three libraries, two gyms, four computer centers, an auditorium, and six science labs. After-school care is available. The school’s student-produced literary magazine, The Pegasus, has received awards from National Teachers of English and Columbia University.
9. Whitefield Academy
City: Atlanta, GA
Category: Education
Telephone: (678) 305-3000
Address: 1 Whitefield Dr.
Description: This Christ-centered preparatory school was founded in 1997 with 96 students in grades 6 through 12. Since then, it has grown to more than 687 students and now has pre-kindergarten through 12. The facility continues to expand to accommodate a growing student body committed to intellectual development, positive relationships, and physical fitness. Student-teacher ratio is fewer than 10 to 1.
10. The Friends School of Atlanta
City: Atlanta, GA
Category: Education
Telephone: (404) 373-8746
Address: 862 Columbia Dr.
Description: Approximately 170 students from 4-year-old kindergartners through eighth graders attend the Friends School. The school is based on education put forth by the Religious Society of Friends or Quakers and the focus is on each child’s individual skills and needs. The school, with a student-teacher ratio of 9 to 1, also offers after-school care and summer programs.
City: Atlanta, GA
Category: Education
Address: 3790 Ashford Dunwoody Rd. NE
12. The Paideia School
City: Atlanta, GA
Category: Education
Telephone: (404) 377-3491
Address: 1509 Ponce de Leon Ave.
Description: Founded in 1971, Paideia (a Greek word for “community of learning”) is an independent, nonsectarian school committed to having a racial, socioeconomic, and intellectual cross section of students. The school serves families with children ages 3 through 18. Paideia’s philosophy is based on the belief that school can be informal and individualized yet still educate well. In addition to teaching basic skills and content areas, the school promotes development in art, music, and physical education. About 929 students are enrolled, with a student-teacher ratio of 7 to 2. Of the class of 2009, 22 percent were National Merit semifinalists.
13. St. Martin’s Episcopal School
City: Atlanta, GA
Category: Education
Telephone: (404) 237-4260
Description: Christian-oriented academic excellence characterizes this school, founded in 1959, for more than 600 preschool to eighth-grade students. The student-teacher ratio is about 10 to 1 in elementary and middle grades; early childhood classes have a ratio of 8 to 1. St. Martin’s is part of an adopt-a-school program with Oglethorpe University, whose students work as teacher apprentices and aides in the after-school program. After-school care is offered until 6 p.m.
14. St. Pius X Catholic High School
City: Atlanta, GA
Category: Education
Telephone: (404) 636-3023
Address: 2674 Johnson Rd. NE
Description: One of three Catholic high schools of the Atlanta Archdiocese, this 50-year-old school offers three levels of instruction: accelerated, college prep I, and college prep II. The school offers 21 advanced placement courses. The philosophy, based on faith and religious belief, is to help students develop individual potential, to build the community, and to foster service to others. A traditional class structure serves more than 1,076 students in grades 9 through 12; the student-teacher ratio is about 16 to 1.
15. Yeshiva Atlanta
City: Atlanta, GA
Category: Education
Telephone: (770) 451-5299
Address: 3130 Raymond Dr.
Description: Founded in 1969, Yeshiva is an Orthodox Jewish high school with an enrollment of about 130 students in grades 9 through 12. The traditional class structure is split, with students spending half-days in Judaic/Hebraic studies and half-days in general studies. The student–teacher ratio is about 12 to 1. The 50,000-square-foot facility sits on a 10-acre site.