Beverly Hall

A veteran of tough urban districts such as New York and Newark, Beverly L. Hall served as the superintendent of Atlanta Public Schools for more than a decade, turning the failing district into a model of improvement. Under her leadership, seventy-seven schools were built or renovated, scholarship money given to Atlanta students rose from $9 million to $129 million, and graduation rates rose from 39 to 66 percent. The American Association of School Administrators named her National Superintendent of the Year in 2009. Updated 2009