Aretta Baldon

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Aretta Baldon

Nonpartisan

Atlanta Public Schools school board District 2

Tenure

2019 - Present

Term ends

2025

Years in position

5

Report an officeholder change

Elections and appointments

Last elected

November 30, 2021

Education

Bachelor's

Spelman College

Aretta Baldon is a member of the Atlanta Public Schools school board in Georgia, representing District 2. She assumed office on November 4, 2019. Her current term ends on December 31, 2025.

Baldon ran for re-election to the Atlanta Public Schools school board to represent District 2 in Georgia. She won in the general runoff election on November 30, 2021.

Biography

Baldon obtained a B.S. in mathematics from Spelman College. Her professional experience includes working as a freelance photographer and a communications consultant. As of her 2019 campaign, Baldon was affiliated with Atlanta Thrive; Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.; and KIPP Atlanta Collegiate Parent & Teacher Organization, where she served as president and vice president of communications.

Elections

2021

See also: Atlanta Public Schools, Georgia, elections (2021)

General runoff election

General runoff election for Atlanta Public Schools school board District 2

Incumbent Aretta Baldon defeated Keisha Carey in the general runoff election for Atlanta Public Schools school board District 2 on November 30, 2021.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Aretta Baldon (Nonpartisan)	50.6	3,287
		Keisha Carey (Nonpartisan)	49.4	3,207

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 6,494
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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General election

General election for Atlanta Public Schools school board District 2

Incumbent Aretta Baldon and Keisha Carey advanced to a runoff. They defeated Bethsheba Rem in the general election for Atlanta Public Schools school board District 2 on November 2, 2021.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Aretta Baldon (Nonpartisan)	48.2	3,573
✔		Keisha Carey (Nonpartisan)	29.4	2,175
	Submit photo	Bethsheba Rem (Nonpartisan)	22.0	1,627
		Other/Write-in votes	0.4	32

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 7,407
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2019

See also: Atlanta Public Schools elections (2019)

General runoff election

Special general runoff election for Atlanta Public Schools school board District 2

Aretta Baldon defeated Davida Huntley in the special general runoff election for Atlanta Public Schools school board District 2 on October 15, 2019.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Aretta Baldon (Nonpartisan)	57.7	553
	Submit photo	Davida Huntley (Nonpartisan)	42.3	406

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 959
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

General election

Special general election for Atlanta Public Schools school board District 2

The following candidates ran in the special general election for Atlanta Public Schools school board District 2 on September 17, 2019.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Aretta Baldon (Nonpartisan)	30.6	342
✔	Submit photo	Davida Huntley (Nonpartisan)	25.3	282
		Paula Kupersmith (Nonpartisan)	10.9	122
	Submit photo	Chadd Jonesmith (Nonpartisan)	10.1	113
	Submit photo	Christopher Brown (Nonpartisan)	8.2	92
		Keisha Carey (Nonpartisan)	7.0	78
		Nathaniel Borrell Dyer (Nonpartisan)	4.4	49
	Submit photo	Ed Johnson (Nonpartisan)	2.6	29
		Will Chandler (Nonpartisan)	0.8	9

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,116
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Campaign themes

2021

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Aretta Baldon did not complete Ballotpedia's 2021 Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign website

Baldon’s campaign website stated the following:

“	My Platform STRONG AND SAFE NEIGHBORHOOD PUBLIC SCHOOLS All children in Atlanta deserve safe schools and great teachers. I will continue to fight for our District 2 schools to have access to our equitable share of resources. It is not acceptable for a child’s address to dictate the quality of their education. CHILDREN AND TEACHERS FIRST I promise to continue to be an effective advocate and have the courage to always choose families and teachers over politics. Over 80% of our children are not on grade level for reading and math. There is a 59% performance gap between our white and black students. APS must do better and educate ALL of our children. DIRECT AND FREQUENT COMMUNICATION I am committed to increasing parent and community participation. I will continue to ensure the community voice is heard and valued by our principals and the APS Superintendent. I promise to remain accessible through school visits, office hours held around the district, and neighborhood meetings.	”
—Aretta Baldon's campaign website (2021)

2019

Aretta Baldon completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Baldon's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

What would be your top three priorities, if elected?

The top three issues I want to address are:

1. Improve the dismal proficiencies in reading, writing and math within the district.
2. Address the inequities between schools on the north side and schools on the south side of the system.

3. Attract and retain the best and most talented teachers and administrators.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Nelson Mandela said that Education is the most powerful weapon to use to change the world. Other cultural icons have shown us that we must lift the veil of ignorance, with a sense of urgency by any means necessary.

Students graduating from high school and not being proficient in reading, writing and math is a disservice to the students, our community and our society. At a bare minimum students should be prepared for college and career upon graduating.

Additionally, wraparound services that address affordable housing, financial literacy, family counseling, and livable wages are also important to bridging the gaps in the home and school for students and their families.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I have a unique set of qualifications and experiences that make me the best choice for this office. In short, I am:

- 15-year Washington Park Resident
- PTO President
- APS Parent, daughter is #3 in her senior class
- Spelman graduate, BS Mathematics
- Member, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
- 12 years, Director at Turner Broadcasting

- Former Girl Scout Leader, Soccer

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

The primary responsibilities of the Atlanta Board of Education are to

1. Approve the budget
2. Hire and review the superintendent

3. Set policy

What legacy would you like to leave?

I'd love to leave a legacy of significant improvement in our student's performance and an increase in trust of the School Board and its members. I want to see as many children as possible career and college ready upon graduation - reading, writing and doing math on grade level.

How will you build relationships with members of the broader community? Which groups, organizations, stakeholders will you specifically target?

I would build relationships in the community and with parents by hosting monthly meetings open to all stakeholders in order to raise, address and resolve issues affecting the district specifically and the system in general. Creating a forum where everyone can be heard and understood is essential to building a culture of collaboration and success.

What will you do to build a better relationship with parents in the district? What plans do you have to be inclusive of parental involvement?

I would build relationships in the community and with parents by hosting monthly meetings open to all stakeholders in order to raise, address and resolve issues affecting the district specifically and the system in general. Creating a forum where everyone can be heard and understood is essential to building a culture of collaboration and success.

What issues get in the way of quality education? How would you address these obstacles?

Politics and special interest get in the way of quality education. I commit to doing what is best for children and to set politics aside. Every decision will focus on students first and heavily factor in parent/guardian input.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Ballotpedia biographical submission form

The candidate completed Ballotpedia's biographical information submission form:

“	What is your political philosophy? My name is Aretta Baldon and I am running for the open District 2 seat of the Atlanta Board of Education. I am a 15-year resident of Washington Park, a graduate of Spelman College, a parent organizer with Atlanta Thrive, and a mother of an APS student. I am proud to advocate for, serve, and raise my daughter in a neighborhood rich in culture and history. When it was time for my daughter to begin school APS was in the middle of the largest cheating scandal in American history. As a parent, I was terrified. I had to make some tough choices and big sacrifices to ensure she received a quality education. Not all parents and guardians are able to navigate the system successfully, especially our most vulnerable caregivers. No one should have to drive across town, move yearly, or lie about their address for a quality education. Our children should be able to receive a quality education in our neighborhood public schools. With your vote and support, I will be a champion for students, families, teachers, and principals as we work hard to ensure our children receive a world-class education.	”
—Aretta Baldon

See also

2021 Elections

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External links

• Atlanta Public Schools

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