Matt Underwood, the Executive Director of Atlanta Neighborhood Charter School, has been selected to head Atlanta Public Schools’ Office of Innovation. Georgia Charter Schools Association congratulates Underwood and looks forward to working with him in his new role.
“I’ve been fortunate to work for 12 years at a school that uses innovative practices to support students’ academic and social-emotional growth, and I hope to build on what I’ve learned at ANCS 
in my new role with APS, said Underwood. “The district has made great strides in building collaboration and partnership between and among charter and traditional schools to help further student learning for ALL APS students, and I’m excited to be a part of continuing to bring new ideas to that work.”
Georgia Charter Schools Association has enjoyed partnering with Underwood since he began working at Atlanta Neighborhood Charter School more than a decade ago. Underwood is a longtime presenter at GCSA’s annual conference and has served as a mentor to aspiring school leaders throughout Georgia.
We’re grateful for the role Matt has played not only leading high-quality charter schools, but also in his support of aspiring charter school leaders and high-quality teachers during the past 11 years,” said, Tony Roberts, President and CEO of Georgia Charter Schools Association. “We commend Atlanta Public Schools for their choice of Matt to lead their Office of Innovation. He will do a great job and we look forward to our continued work with him.”
Underwood began working at ANCS in 2007 as Principal of the school’s middle campus. He served in that position until 2013. He has worked as the Executive Director of Atlanta Neighborhood Charter School since 2011. As Executive Director, he worked closely with the school’s leadership team and Governing Board of Directors to carry out the school’s mission and strategic plan. Underwood also helped implement a weighted lottery system for the school’s admission process to ensure more disadvantaged students would have access to the school despite increasing gentrification in the city of Atlanta.
Prior to working at ANCS, Underwood spent several years as a classroom teacher and advisor at middle and high schools in Illinois, Georgia, New York, and Massachusetts. In 2004, Mr. Underwood received his Master’s degree from Harvard University after completing a school leadership program between Harvard’s Graduate School of Education, Business School, and Law School. Before coming to ANCS, he worked at the Francis W. Parker Charter Essential School in Devens, Massachusetts, a school founded by Ted Sizer of the Coalition of Essential Schools. While at Parker, he taught and served on the school’s leadership team as a part of the Greater Boston Principal Residency Network.
Underwood is scheduled to start his new position at APS in January.
