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A daily look at the most significant and interesting stories affecting Atlanta. Written by Kristal Dixon and Thomas Wheatley.

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Restaurant group wants investigation into 2018 sinkhole at Piedmont Park

Be Our Guest Investments accuses Piedmont Park Conservancy of covering up the issue before anyone could determine the cause of the sinkhole.

News

The traditional Georgia accent is fading away

The speech pattern used by white English speakers "peaked" among people born around World War II

Georgia teacher fired for having book about gender identity in classroom

She is one of — if not the — first educator in Georgia to lose her job in relation to  a 2022 state law

Education

Remember when: A celebrated artist created Atlanta's most creative playground

The playground is striking for its simplicity and use of color.

APS board candidates on the biggest challenges for schools

Atlanta's Nov. 7 ballot will determine who gets elected to five school board seats.

The Atlanta races on next month&#x27;s Nov. 7 ballot will determine who gets elected to five different school board seatsTo help voters, Axios Atlanta asked the candidates a question:<ul><li>What&#x27;s the most important issue facing Atlanta&#x27;s schools today, and how, specifically, will you address it?</li></ul>The following responses were edited for length.

Illustration of an apple with an I Voted sticker.

Atlanta ranks among America's smartest cities in new study

Atlanta is the nation's second most educated city, according to Forbes Advisor.

<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Atlanta" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/newsletters/axios-atlanta" data-vars-content-id="5ae2f90e-89db-4c09-be78-0ccaf6b665bf" data-vars-headline="Atlanta ranks among America&#x27;s smartest cities in new study" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/newsletters/axios-atlanta" target="_self">Atlanta</a> is the nation&#x27;s second most educated city, according to a new report from <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Forbes Advisor" data-vars-click-url="https://www.forbes.com/advisor/education/most-educated-cities/" data-vars-content-id="5ae2f90e-89db-4c09-be78-0ccaf6b665bf" data-vars-headline="Atlanta ranks among America&#x27;s smartest cities in new study" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.forbes.com/advisor/education/most-educated-cities/" target="_blank">Forbes Advisor</a>.Why it matters: Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics found that workers with bachelor&#x27;s degrees earn nearly 68% more than those with only a high school diploma.

Illustration of a golden apple on a stack of books.

Chart: Georgia's outstanding student loan debt

Federal student loans are due, and Georgia has some of the highest student debt in the country.

Federal student loan repayments are back after the pandemic paused interests for over three years.Why it matters: The repayments hit home for more than 40 million Americans who collectively owe more than <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="$1 trillion in student loans" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/06/30/student-debt-age-gender?utm_source=newsletter&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=newsletter_axioslocal_nw_arkansas&amp;stream=top#_ga=2.228613332.997403734.1696875111-2028976887.1695924486&amp;_gac=1.225359464.1697027935.Cj0KCQjwj5mpBhDJARIsAOVjBdodqgzA467_s2XKunjmWCU_AAiS2Gt3MKY8VOc5b_fqssDkfK1fcesaAs6bEALw_wcB" data-vars-content-id="89f49371-88c0-403c-aa20-e831f546690b" data-vars-headline="Chart: Georgia&#x27;s outstanding student loan debt" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/06/30/student-debt-age-gender?utm_source=newsletter&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=newsletter_axioslocal_nw_arkansas&amp;stream=top#_ga=2.228613332.997403734.1696875111-2028976887.1695924486&amp;_gac=1.225359464.1697027935.Cj0KCQjwj5mpBhDJARIsAOVjBdodqgzA467_s2XKunjmWCU_AAiS2Gt3MKY8VOc5b_fqssDkfK1fcesaAs6bEALw_wcB" target="_self">$1 trillion in student loans</a>. And Georgia borrowers on average carry among the highest amounts of student loan debt in the country.

An interactive chart displaying the total outstanding student loan debt in Georgia broken down by age groups.

Cobb schools unresponsive to issues important to students, parents say

Frustrations among parents and students are mounting against the Cobb County School District.

In 2020, several students in Cobb County <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="began an effort" data-vars-click-url="https://sites.google.com/view/wheelernamechange/home" data-vars-content-id="95fd89d7-042d-42f8-b3c2-1d86ea23d406" data-vars-headline="Cobb schools unresponsive to issues important to students, parents say" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://sites.google.com/view/wheelernamechange/home" target="_blank">began an effort</a> to rename Wheeler High School, which opened in 1965 and was christened after Confederate General Joseph Wheeler.<ul><li>The students spoke at Board of Education meetings and even<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text=" conducted research" data-vars-click-url="https://sites.google.com/view/wheelernamechange/our-reasoning/research-findings" data-vars-content-id="95fd89d7-042d-42f8-b3c2-1d86ea23d406" data-vars-headline="Cobb schools unresponsive to issues important to students, parents say" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://sites.google.com/view/wheelernamechange/our-reasoning/research-findings" target="_blank"> conducted research</a> on the history of the school&#x27;s naming and Wheeler&#x27;s background.</li><li>Their requests were not taken up by district officials, as well as the Republican majority of the school board.</li></ul>

Cobb teacher who read book about gender identity appeals firing

Rinderle appealed the Cobb County Board of Education's decision to fire her to the State Board of Education.

The <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Cobb County teacher" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2023/08/18/cobb-county-teacher-fired-gender-identity-book" data-vars-content-id="df59763a-fc24-447c-b0fe-982b03ef362d" data-vars-headline="Cobb teacher who read book about gender identity appeals firing" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2023/08/18/cobb-county-teacher-fired-gender-identity-book" target="_self">Cobb County teacher</a> who was fired last month after reading a book about gender identity to her students has appealed her termination to the State Board of Education.Driving the news: Katie Rinderle&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="appeal" data-vars-click-url="https://www.splcenter.org/sites/default/files/2023.09.14_katherine_rinderle_notice_appeal.pdf" data-vars-content-id="df59763a-fc24-447c-b0fe-982b03ef362d" data-vars-headline="Cobb teacher who read book about gender identity appeals firing" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.splcenter.org/sites/default/files/2023.09.14_katherine_rinderle_notice_appeal.pdf" target="_blank">appeal</a> was submitted Thursday to Cobb County Superintendent Chris Ragsdale, said the Southern Poverty Law Center, which is representing Rinderle alongside the Goodmark Law Firm.

The battle over books continues in Cobb schools

Cobb County's schools are again caught in the national political battle over which books kids can read.

Cobb County&#x27;s schools are again caught in the national political battle over which books kids can read.Driving the news: Two weeks after <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="firing" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2023/08/18/cobb-county-teacher-fired-gender-identity-book" data-vars-content-id="8145294d-94b6-4542-a14d-c094e6fd48e0" data-vars-headline="The battle over books continues in Cobb schools" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2023/08/18/cobb-county-teacher-fired-gender-identity-book" target="_self">firing</a> a fifth-grade teacher who read a book about gender identity to her classroom, the district removed two additional books from library shelves after an outside, conservative activist organization, Libs of TikTok, asked if they were &quot;appropriate&quot; for students.<ul><li>The group <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="emailed" data-vars-click-url="https://www.libsoftiktok.com/p/-g" data-vars-content-id="8145294d-94b6-4542-a14d-c094e6fd48e0" data-vars-headline="The battle over books continues in Cobb schools" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.libsoftiktok.com/p/-g" target="_blank">emailed</a> the district on Aug. 19 and said it was gathering information about two &quot;pornographic books your district currently has available to students&quot; in libraries: &quot;<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Flamer" data-vars-click-url="https://www.mikecurato.com/flamer" data-vars-content-id="8145294d-94b6-4542-a14d-c094e6fd48e0" data-vars-headline="The battle over books continues in Cobb schools" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.mikecurato.com/flamer" target="_blank">Flamer</a>&quot; by Mike Curato and Jesse Andrews&#x27; &quot;<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Me and Earl and the Dying Girl" data-vars-click-url="https://www.amazon.com/Earl-Dying-Girl-Jesse-Andrews/dp/1419701762" data-vars-content-id="8145294d-94b6-4542-a14d-c094e6fd48e0" data-vars-headline="The battle over books continues in Cobb schools" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.amazon.com/Earl-Dying-Girl-Jesse-Andrews/dp/1419701762" target="_blank">Me and Earl and the Dying Girl</a>.&quot;</li><li>On Aug. 21, John Floresta, the district&#x27;s chief strategy and accountability officer, responded and said, &quot;We weren&#x27;t aware of the sexually explicit content in these books until your email.&quot;</li><li>Libs of TikTok&#x27;s involvement was first reported by <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Cobb County Courier" data-vars-click-url="https://cobbcountycourier.com/2023/08/libs-of-tik-tok-complaint-behind-books-removal-in-cobb-schools/?utm_source=dlvr.it&amp;utm_medium=twitter" data-vars-content-id="8145294d-94b6-4542-a14d-c094e6fd48e0" data-vars-headline="The battle over books continues in Cobb schools" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://cobbcountycourier.com/2023/08/libs-of-tik-tok-complaint-behind-books-removal-in-cobb-schools/?utm_source=dlvr.it&amp;utm_medium=twitter" target="_blank">Cobb County Courier</a>.</li></ul>Why it matters: Lesson plans and library catalogs have become a target for parents, politicians and activist groups seeking to have more control over what children can learn in the classroom.<ul><li>This latest example brings national scrutiny to CCSD bookshelves. Libs of TikTok, known for posting frequent anti-LGBTQ+ content, has more than 2.4 million followers on X (formerly Twitter).</li></ul>Catch up quick: Gov. Brian Kemp last year signed into law the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Parents&#x27; Bill of Rights" data-vars-click-url="https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/61677" data-vars-content-id="8145294d-94b6-4542-a14d-c094e6fd48e0" data-vars-headline="The battle over books continues in Cobb schools" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/61677" target="_blank">Parents&#x27; Bill of Rights</a> and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="legislation" data-vars-click-url="https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/61477" data-vars-content-id="8145294d-94b6-4542-a14d-c094e6fd48e0" data-vars-headline="The battle over books continues in Cobb schools" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/61477" target="_blank">legislation</a> banning the teaching of &quot;divisive concepts,&quot; as well as a bill that allows for the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="removal" data-vars-click-url="https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/59932" data-vars-content-id="8145294d-94b6-4542-a14d-c094e6fd48e0" data-vars-headline="The battle over books continues in Cobb schools" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/59932" target="_blank">removal</a> of obscene materials from school libraries.What they&#x27;re saying: A district spokesperson told Axios that the books were removed from 20 school libraries.<ul><li>&quot;Protecting our students from sexually explicit content isn&#x27;t controversial, it&#x27;s what our parents expect,&quot; Floresta told Axios in an emailed statement.</li></ul>Of note: &quot;Flamer,&quot; a graphic novel, tells the story of a 14-year-old boy who struggles with his sexuality while dealing with bullying at summer camp. &quot;Me and Earl and the Dying Girl&quot; is about a teenage boy who restarts a friendship with a girl who has been diagnosed with leukemia.<ul><li>Both books are listed for readers 14 and older.</li></ul>The other side: Jeff Hubbard, president of the Cobb County Association of Educators, told Axios that by responding to a challenge from an outside activist, the district violated its own <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="policy" data-vars-click-url="https://sbcobbstor.blob.core.windows.net/media/WWWCobb/medialib/ifbc-r.615a9d37154.pdf" data-vars-content-id="8145294d-94b6-4542-a14d-c094e6fd48e0" data-vars-headline="The battle over books continues in Cobb schools" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://sbcobbstor.blob.core.windows.net/media/WWWCobb/medialib/ifbc-r.615a9d37154.pdf" target="_blank">policy</a>, which says only parents or guardians of current students can ask the school to reconsider making a book available.<ul><li>It also calls for a review and appeals process.</li><li>&quot;Now what has occurred over the past week is that teachers have been clearing out their classroom libraries,&quot; Hubbard said.</li></ul>Zoom out: State legislatures across the country have passed laws prohibiting schools from teaching <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="critical race theory" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2021/05/26/gop-seek-to-ban-critical-race-theory-schools" data-vars-content-id="8145294d-94b6-4542-a14d-c094e6fd48e0" data-vars-headline="The battle over books continues in Cobb schools" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2021/05/26/gop-seek-to-ban-critical-race-theory-schools" target="_self">critical race theory</a>,<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text=" sexual orientation or gender identity" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/04/19/desantis-florida-expands-dont-say-gay-law" data-vars-content-id="8145294d-94b6-4542-a14d-c094e6fd48e0" data-vars-headline="The battle over books continues in Cobb schools" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/04/19/desantis-florida-expands-dont-say-gay-law" target="_self"> sexual orientation or gender identity</a>.A report released last week by PEN American, a nonprofit organization that promotes free expression, indicates 392 proposals allowing parents and governments to change school lessons have been introduced in state legislatures since 2021, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Axios&#x27; Russell Contreras reports" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/08/23/education-intimidation-pen-america-lgbtq-schools-crt" data-vars-content-id="8145294d-94b6-4542-a14d-c094e6fd48e0" data-vars-headline="The battle over books continues in Cobb schools" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/08/23/education-intimidation-pen-america-lgbtq-schools-crt" target="_self">Axios&#x27; Russell Contreras reports</a>.<ul><li>38 of those proposals passed into law in 19 states, including Georgia.</li><li>Around 45% have an anti-LGBTQ+ provision, including the forced outing of students.</li></ul>Becky Pringle, president of the National Association of Educators, told Axios that the current culture wars are an &quot;orchestrated effort by extreme, far-right politicians … to destroy the public school system.&quot;<ul><li>&quot;And then we add on top of that the passage of laws that are deliberately vague and broad that take away our students&#x27; freedom to learn and teachers&#x27; freedom to teach,&quot; she said, adding that the laws &quot;demonstrate a lack of respect for teachers as professionals.&quot;</li></ul>The bottom line: Removing books that include LGBTQ+ characters is &quot;blatant discrimination&quot; toward students who identify as such, as well as their families, Cobb resident Reid Jones told Axios.<ul><li>Jones, who identifies as nonbinary and graduated from Kennesaw Mountain High School in 2016, said children who are as young as students in kindergarten are already aware of the concept of gender when they segregate themselves on the playground.</li><li>&quot;It&#x27;s really hard … seeing nonbinary kids in our school systems that are being targeted by this hate, even by parents and by some of the teachers,&quot; Jones said.</li></ul>

Illustration of number two pencils inside a match box.

A divided Georgia school board voted to fire a teacher <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="who read" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2023/06/26/cobb-county-teacher-fired-divisive-content-law-georgia" data-vars-content-id="54313b83-f2bd-4dff-9768-83e94c11d3e4" data-vars-headline="Georgia teacher fired for having book about gender identity in classroom" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2023/06/26/cobb-county-teacher-fired-divisive-content-law-georgia" target="_self">who read</a> a book about gender identity to her students earlier this year.Driving the news: Cobb County Board of Education members voted on Thursday to accept Superintendent Chris Ragsdale&#x27;s recommendation to fire Due West Elementary School fifth-grade teacher Katie Rinderle.

Districts explore building homes for teachers amid affordability crunch

RBH Group is breaking ground this October on a 536,319-square-foot, mixed-use Teacher's Village in downtown.

In a desperate effort to combat a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="chronic teacher shortage" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2021/11/15/teacher-labor-shortage-outlast-pandemic" data-vars-content-id="98f1c073-ba97-4d30-b33d-e0e232d9c916" data-vars-headline="Districts explore building homes for teachers amid affordability crunch" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2021/11/15/teacher-labor-shortage-outlast-pandemic" target="_self">chronic teacher shortage</a> and a housing affordability crunch, school districts in Atlanta and across the country are getting into a new industry: homebuilding.Why it matters: On their salaries, many teachers simply can&#x27;t afford to live where they work, which can have repercussions on the quality of students&#x27; education, Becky Pringle, president of the National Education Association, told Axios.

Illustration of an apple shaped like a house. 

Atlanta Public Schools confront teacher burnout as new year begins

About 50,000 students are expected to show up on the first day, the district said.

Students and teachers in Atlanta Public Schools head back to the classroom Tuesday for the start of the 2023-24 school year.Driving the news: About 50,000 students are expected to show up on the first day, the district said.<ul><li>APS has 3,031 certified teaching spots and as of late last week, 14 vacancies, Chief Human Resources Officer Nicole Lawson told Axios.</li></ul>

Illustration of a pattern of beer school buses.

What to know about Georgia student loan payments resuming

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Biden administration's plan to forgive up to $20,000 in loan debt is unconstitutional.

COVID

Tens of millions of borrowers will resume monthly student loan payments without any debt relief after the Supreme Court ruled on Friday that <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="President Biden&#x27;s loan forgiveness plan" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/02/27/biden-student-loan-forgiveness-supreme-court" data-vars-content-id="3db62164-0103-4940-a904-cb297dc14d6b" data-vars-headline="What to know about Georgia student loan payments resuming" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/02/27/biden-student-loan-forgiveness-supreme-court" target="_self">President Biden&#x27;s loan forgiveness plan</a> is unconstitutional.Why it matters: Borrowers who qualified for the relief plan would have been forgiven for loans up to $10,000 for individual borrowers who make under $125,000 per year or $20,000 for <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Pell Grant recipients" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/08/24/pell-grants-student-loan-forgiveness" data-vars-content-id="3db62164-0103-4940-a904-cb297dc14d6b" data-vars-headline="What to know about Georgia student loan payments resuming" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/08/24/pell-grants-student-loan-forgiveness" target="_self">Pell Grant recipients</a>.

Illustration of a college pennant with George Washington on it and the letters "IOU"

Education 📚