Meet the Atlanta Board of Education candidates: Patreece Hutcherson for District 6

Patreece Hutcherson is on a mission to reopen schools and increase the Atlanta Board of Education’s transparency, with more than 20 years working in public education to draw from.

On Dec. 2, three runoff elections will occur for Atlanta Board of Education seats, including the District 6 position representing southwest Atlanta. This article focuses on Patreece Hutcherson, a school guidance counselor who received 3,855 votes (24.72%) in the Nov. 4 general election. Her answers to Atlanta Community Press Collective questions about her background, District 6 and priorities if elected are below. 

Answers are condensed for space.

How would you describe Atlanta education—especially District 6—in its qualities and challenges?

Right now they are slated to shut down 16 schools. Information rolled out in August that there was a disparity between enrollment and capacity that the board would resolve. That is not transparency, that is terror. Families should not be getting shocked with such a disparity in such a short amount of time—that’s haphazard.

What are specific education policies you’d like to change?

The school turnaround plan would be the first order of business. They close schools and make the teachers apply for rehire. My mother was one of six teachers out of a staff of 90 people rehired from when they closed her school. It’s around the corner from my home, and they shut it down 10 years ago. My opponent calls them unactivated properties, but the realistic word is abandoned. 

I just want what’s simple. Our children should be able to walk to school in their neighborhoods. One way I’ll do that is to find out what’s going on with the budget. Every year they are rolling out a new curriculum, even though research shows it takes at least three years for curriculum to show progress or not. The constant change lowers teacher morale and causes the children to be confused and the parents to be frustrated. It’s a mismanagement of funds with haphazard plans.

How do you intend to address students’ academic outcomes and health?

I’ve been doing it for 23 years. In education we’re often wondering why we can’t get ahead. It’s because these policies are put out there for us to fail. We need trained public educators put in these seats. This connects to how the curriculum cannot even evolve because there is a new curriculum every year. Educators need to have a voice and not be singled out. Teachers at my mother’s school couldn’t even speak against school closings because they were afraid of losing their jobs. 

Once we stop doing that and bring back a culture of care, we will see outcomes improve. It sounds bizarre even having to say it. So my goal is to fix this, make sure students and communities have schools they can walk to and then learn. Make sure the children are learning by giving the teachers support they need to do their jobs and have the supplies they need, ready and paid for.

How will you approach the issue of funding, declining enrollment and closures in Atlanta Public Schools?

This is a false narrative that is being pumped out, with the school board saying in August we need to solve in a three-month timeline for a 20-year projection. I say it doesn’t make sense because it does not make sense. It’s being pushed by the school board, especially one of the members I’m running against, who was appointed to the school board position, not elected. That lets us know this is not transparency, not coming from someone who listens to the community.

Every year they’re spending $50 million on a new curriculum—and that’s just what I know about. Who knows what other things they’re doing? Funds are not allocated the way they should be. The north side is suddenly overpopulated and the south side has underutilization? You can’t have both. Just be transparent. That’s all I’m asking, people to understand we need more transparency, and that’s not happening.

How do your 23 years as a school counselor inform your candidacy?

It is a labor of love. I don’t like it all the time. You get pushback from teachers, students, parents, but that’s part of the process of raising humans for life beyond high school. I’ve learned to balance that and ensure everyone’s voice is heard and we reach a goal together, so I’m ready to do this job. 

At Washington High I was in the band. In M. Agnes Jones (Elementary) I was a safety patrol. Those were great experiences preparing us for times like this. 

What makes this run different from your previous two for this role?

Can you believe we made it to the runoff? The past times I ran, I didn’t claim defeat, but this time we’re here in the runoff with the message getting out to the people that there’s another narrative here and they have a choice. Once they hear that, I believe that the people will respond and vote for a better way. As long as we are sharing on social media and keep getting the word out, we can win. We’re going to do what’s right in Atlanta—the world is watching us. Public educators should be working in these positions with the experience and perspective necessary to know what’s best for Atlanta schools. 

For more information on Hutcherson and her platform, visit electpatreece2025.com.