Meet the Atlanta Board of Education candidates: Royce Mann for District 8

Drawing on his government experience at every level—including work with both U.S. senators from Georgia—Royce Mann wants to bolster funding for Atlanta Public Schools, adding universal pre-K and free MARTA transit for high schoolers.

On Dec. 2, three runoff elections will occur for Atlanta Board of Education seats, including the District 8 position representing the entire city. This article focuses on Royce Mann, a recent Atlanta Public Schools and Emory University graduate who received 25,185 votes (31.13%) in the Nov. 4 general election. His answers to Atlanta Community Press Collective questions about his background, District 8 and priorities if elected are below. 

Answers are condensed for space.

How would you describe Atlanta education in its qualities and challenges?

Atlanta has the largest income gap and lowest economic mobility of any city in the country, and the disparities that exist in our communities are too often reflected and engrained in our schools. For many young people in Atlanta, our public schools are the only real path to building generational wealth, yet we continually fail to equip students with the resources and skills to succeed long term. While graduation rates are at historic highs, underlying data including literacy rates and post-secondary completion rates tell a far different story. Our greatest strength as a city is our diversity, and this is something we should always embrace. We must also acknowledge that our city and schools have for far too long failed to address the diverse needs that exist across Atlanta. To do this, we must prioritize investment where the need is greatest. This is especially important as we consider closing and repurposing over a dozen APS schools. These decisions will further erode trust unless we ensure that the communities most affected actually benefit from the savings generated by these decisions.

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

My priorities include hiring more counselors for our schools, partnering with MARTA to provide free public transit for high schoolers, guaranteeing universal pre-K for three and four year olds, implementing life skills curriculum, expanding access to wraparound services and replacing harmful exclusionary discipline policies with restorative practices. 

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

My entire platform is focused on improving students’ academic and health outcomes. From getting more counselors in our schools to investing in early education, I’m focused on policies that will benefit working families and improve outcomes for all students, especially those from historically marginalized backgrounds.

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

We need to use the resources we have more effectively and funnel more money directly to classrooms. To this end, I will propose a full audit of our vendor contracts, advocate alongside my colleagues for increased funding from the state, demand that Fulton County properly assess commercial properties to ensure large corporations are paying their fair share to our schools, reassess existing charter and partner contracts and oppose unnecessary TAD extensions unless greater accountability and safeguards are put into place to prevent displacement of low-income residents and ensure development truly benefits communities. To increase enrollment, we must invest in exciting and innovative programs at all our schools and provide increased incentives to attract our best educators to our lowest-performing schools. As it relates to potential school closures, I have serious concerns about the currently proposed scenarios. That said, these scenarios are set to be voted on before I would take office, so my focus is on centering the voices of the communities most directly impacted by these decisions to ensure they benefit from the cost savings which the district claims these decisions will produce. This must include clear plans for how facilities will be repurposed to continue serving the needs of families, whether through student and family support hubs, early learning sites, tutoring centers or vocational education programs.

How does your array of political and advocacy work inform your candidacy, such as your job with March for Our Lives and interning for senators Ossoff and Warnock?

I’ve worked at every level of government and have extensive experience lobbying for and against policy at the local, state and federal level, including years of direct advocacy within APS. I’ve seen firsthand the need for more young voices in the policymaking process. I am running because our students deserve someone on the board who understands their experiences. As a recent graduate, I bring that perspective, and as a longtime organizer and advocate, I bring the skills needed to effectively leverage that perspective.

How has your campaign attracted endorsements from a significant number of Atlanta progressives?

As a longtime community organizer, I have built strong relationships with progressive leaders and organizations, and I am proud to have the support of the Georgia Working Families Party, the Atlanta-North GA Labor Council, State Rep. Park Cannon, Councilmember Liliana Bakhtiari, Councilmember-Elect Kelsea Bond and countless others. These groups and individuals have endorsed our campaign because they have seen my work and support our vision for an APS that is accountable to students, working families and educators, not to special interests.

For more information on Mann and his platform, visit RoyceforATL.com.