Alexandra Estrella shared her plans to engage the community when she takes over the state’s largest school district July 1.
Alexandra Estrella, recently hired to be the next Gwinnett County Public Schools superintendent, speaks to reporters as school board members stand behind her during a news conference at the district’s headquarters in Suwanee on Saturday, April 4, 2026. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)
Alexandra Estrella has pledged to listen and learn.
Such community engagement and collaboration is what will make Gwinnett County Public Schools successful, said its incoming superintendent Saturday.
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hcihw eht taht tnednetnirepus stneduts ecnis .sloohcs elor fo si ni ni ni sllorne yltnerruc neeb tuoba s’ehS sloohcS cilbuP klawroN yluJ allertsE ,tucitcennoC 12 .0202 000,21
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The Gwinnett school district’s next superintendent, Alexandra Estrella, speaks during a news conference Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Suwanee. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)
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Alexandra Estrella speaks during a news conference Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Suwanee. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)
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gnikrow ohw laicos s’ehs dias stnerap .hcaertuo aidem otni gnitargetni reh snaidraug latigid t’nac ,dnetta dna dna roF allertsE
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ot ot eht eht ,rehcaet tnednetnirepus ecneics loohcs loohcs selor esaeler fo fo swen elddim pihsredael retal egaugnal gnidulcni ni ni ni hgih reh dleh gniog morf dednuof laud reerac .draob nageb sa dna dna gnidrocca a a a .kroY kroY ehS ,sloohcS loohcS cilbuP klawroN weN weN ,melraH ttenniwG ruoF allertsE ,noitacudE tsaE tcirtsiD tnemtrapeD ytinummoC ytiC erofeB
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Gwinnett County Board of Education chair Tarece Johnson-Morgan (center left) introduces incoming Superintendent Alexandra Estrella during a news conference on Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Suwanee. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)
noisiv ot emit stroppus s’ehs loohcs dias .snalp tnemelpmi reh reh gnivig ,riahc draob dna eceraT ,nagroM-nosnhoJ s’allertsE
.rD“ ot ”,smetsys tneduts gnorts doots loohcs .dias semoctuo tuo no fo pihsredael dael ,egral gnivorpmi reh sucof ,ecneirepxe xelpmoc esuaceb dna ytiliba nagroM-nosnhoJ allertsE
eW“ gnikrow htiw ew ew rehtegot ot siht eht eht maet metsys desucof-tneduts daor ruo evom .redael dael ni reh ecnanrevog ”.drawrof ,drawrof deticxe ,cimanyd ,deretnec-atad tnedifnoc ,etadidnac ,tnaillirb tseb sa sa era era dna daeha yletulosba tuoba ytiliba a s’ehS
Metro Atlanta’s school superintendents
eht eht loohcs fo ortem sredael tsegral ni stcirtsid era s’ereH .atnaltA
sloohcS cilbuP atnaltA
Bryan Johnson signs the oath during his swearing-in ceremony in Atlanta on Monday, Aug. 5, 2024. (Ziyu Julian Zhu/AJC)
raey saw saw eciv ot hguorht eht eht eht ygetarts detrats devres ylsuoiverp reciffo fo evitan htnom dael .retal tsal ni derih dednetxe evitucexe .tcirtsid tcartnoc feihc rollecnahc ta ta sa dna a ytisrevinU ehT eessenneT ellivhsaN yluJ nosnhoJ siH eH .agoonattahC nayrB .8202 4202
ytnuoC eekorehC
Superintendent Mary Elizabeth Davis applauds students receiving recognition during a school board meeting on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024, in Canton at Cherokee School’s Frank R. Petruzielo Educational Services Facility. (Jason Allen for the AJC)
gnikrow saw saw ot hguorht eht .metsys tnednetnirepus loohcs loohcs yltnecer ylsuoiverp fo dael ni derih dednetxe tcirtsid tcartnoc sa retfa yraM hcraM reH yrneH yraurbeF htebazilE sivaD s’ytnuoC .9202 4202
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Douglas Hendrix Sr., interim Superintendent & CEO of Clayton County Public Schools, speaks during a media tour of the 8,000 seat arena, The Arena at Southlake, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026, in Morrow, Ga. (Jason Getz/AJC)
ohw saw eht gnihcaet tnednetnirepus tnednetnirepus ffats roines ,selor gniriter secalper fo fo rebmun deman .boj si miretni gnidulcni ni ni dleh morf ytuped feihc dna dna evitartsinimda a .rS ,htimS s’eH xirdneH eH .yraurbeF salguoD .notyalC ynohtnA
ytnuoC bboC
Superintendent Chris Ragsdale listens during a Cobb County School Board Meeting in Marietta, Ga., on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. (Abbey Cutrer/AJC)
saw noitatropsnart eht ygolonhcet ,tnednetnirepus s’etats ecnis tsegral-dnoces loohcs ytefas cilbup .smargorp wasrevo reciffo ,ecnanetniam del sti sah tcirtsid ,noitcurtsnoc feihc gnimoceb dna dna eladsgaR eladsgaR s’bboC sirhC erofeB .4102
blaKeD ytnuoC
Interim DeKalb County School District superintendent Norman Sauce III at the DeKalb County School District headquarters, Wednesday, October 15, 2025, in Stone Mountain. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)
raey dekrow ohw saw saw ot hguorht eht eht rehcaet .tnednetnirepus tnednetnirepus tneduts lareves secivres elor decalper detaler lapicnirp ylsuoiverp edistuo fo fo fo stsal tsal si miretni detcidni ni sih rof s’tcirtsid lanimirc tcartnoc feihc segrahc sa sa dna dna a loohcS ecuaS ecuaS .rebmevoN namroN III ,notroH siH eH eikokS-notsnavE tcirtsiD noveD .blaKeD .ogacihC 56
notluF ytnuoC
Fulton County Schools Superintendent Mike Looney shows a student how to use his locker on the first day of school at Sandy Springs Charter Middle School in Sandy Springs on Monday, August 8, 2022. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)
dekrow hguorht tnednetnirepus tnednetnirepus ecnis loohcs snur ylsuoiverp fo raen sah tcirtsid tcartnoc neeb sa dna a rebmevoN ellivhsaN ekiM yenooL siH eH ,ellivneerG .amabalA .8202 .9102
Christopher A. Daniel is a Black Culture reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He is an Atlanta-based, award-winning journalist, cultural critic and ethnomusicologist. He previously taught courses at Morehouse College, Clark Atlanta University and Georgia State University.
Cassidy Alexander covers Georgia education issues for the AJC. She previously covered education for The Daytona Beach News-Journal, and was named Florida’s Outstanding New Journalist of the Year.
