New charter school to open in SW Atlanta aiming to close achievement and wealth gap

Movement School, a network of free public charter schools, recently gained state approval to operate in Georgia. With schools already open in North Carolina and South Carolina, Movement School CEO Kerri-Ann Thomas chose Southwest Atlanta to introduce their brand to the local school system.According to Thomas, Movement School’s journey to opening in Georgia was challenging. Despite numerous setbacks, including initial denials at local and state levels, the school persevered.“We’ve been trying to enter the Georgia region for over two years. Our determination to the families and community outweighed the challenges,” Thomas said.Movement School currently serves pre-K through fifth grade. Thomas highlighted the school’s focus on early childhood education and its comprehensive multi-county transportation service as standout features.“There are lots of [charter] schools that don’t have the ability to provide transportation for students. The fact that we are a charter school approved by the state allows us to accept students from multiple counties,” Thomas said. “We go after the pre-K experience because the achievement gap actually starts at age three. Our goal is to become experts in that area.”Movement School is also connected to Movement Mortgage. In partnership with the school, Movement Mortgage offers down payment assistance to eligible parents and...