April 26, 2022
Greetings Centennial Academy Community,
It has been my greatest professional honor to serve as the Head of School of Centennial Academy. When I was first hired as a teacher at the onset of the charter in 2014, this community of Heroes became my life, as well as the life of my husband Frankie and our two boys, Taj and Frankie Brendan, both Centennial alum. While all of us have truly loved and appreciated this experience, I have realized my own limitations in commuting back and forth from our new home in New York. Although we initially believed that our stay in New York may be temporary, we have made the decision to permanently relocate. My family has been extremely supportive and understanding of the demands of my career and it is now time that I give them more of my presence and attention.
After careful deliberation and consideration over Spring Break, I submitted my letter of resignation to our Governing Board Chair on April 11th. Despite my decision, I am confident that Centennial Academy is poised for continued growth and success as an exemplary STEAM School of Excellence. I take pride in our collective efforts over the past school year to officially receive our STEAM certification recommendation! This was achieved while fully reopening our campus for in-person instruction for the first time since March 2020, simultaneously maintaining a remote learning option via Centennial Virtual Academy for over 100 scholars, and prioritizing the health, safety, and wellbeing of our community with COVID mitigation strategies.
Barack Obama is quoted as saying, "We need to internalize this idea of excellence. Not many folks spend a lot of time trying to be excellent." At Centennial Academy, we embody excellence as our core value. Excellence is demonstrated by our scholars during their iCurate Project-based Learning (PBL) showcases. It was exemplified by our scholar-athletes who brought home the APS Middle School Basketball Championship. Excellence exudes from our educators who have participated in over 100 hours of professional learning opportunities so far this year! Our focus on excellence has yielded a surplus in our fund balance and a compensation strategy that exceeds Atlanta Public Schools. The promise of excellence still burns bright at Centennial Academy and with our continued focus on educational equity, this promise can be realized for every scholar who walks through our doors.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who has encouraged, advised, assisted, counseled, and most importantly believed in me throughout my time at Centennial Academy. I am a better servant leader because of every single one of you. This will always be my Crew and we will always be #CentennialSTRONG!
To the extent that the Governing Board selected me to take the helm as Head of School in 2018, I am confident that they will once again make a decision that is in the best interest of scholars, Centennial's mission, and our strategic priorities over the coming years. Additional information is forthcoming regarding the Head of School search and appropriate next steps. As my last day is set for June 30, 2022, I will work to ensure a successful and seamless transition.
Your Forever Hero,
Tequila Lamar
Head of School
