On Saturday, September 16, advocates, school leaders and parents gathered at Morehouse College for an educational summit organized by Better Outcomes for OUR Kids (B.O.O.K). Georgia Charter Schools Association was one of the event sponsors.
Those attending listened to several unique panels. One of the panels featured DeLano Ford as moderator. Ford serves as the Executive Director of Teach for America in Metro Atlanta and is a member of GCSA’s Board of Directors. Panelists included Charles R. Drew Head of School Don Doran, Atlanta Board of Education Chairman Courtney English, Thomasville Heights Principal Dr. Nicole Evans Jones and Crawford Long Middle School Principal Lisa Hill. Those taking part on the panel discussed the importance of school choice, autonomy at the schoolhouse level and the potential to bring more charter schools to the city of Atlanta.
Utopian Academy for the Arts Executive Director Artesius Miller moderated a second panel with discussion topics such as the NAACP Charter Moratorium and funding equity for state charter schools. Panelists included Ivy Prep Academies Executive Director Alisha T. Morgan, Joe Harris with Friendship Schools, Chief of Strategy and Finance for KIPP Metro Atlanta Erika Ellison and Atlanta Neighborhood Charter School Parent John Wright. Regional UNCF Director Justine Boyd served as the mistress of ceremonies. 
Students at Utopian Academy for the arts sang several songs and gave a dance performance (pictured on the right). The
Urban Youth Harp Ensemble also performed.
Those taking part also heard from United Negro College Fund President and CEO Michael L. Lomax, viewed a video with NewsOne Now Host and Managing Editor Roland Martin and had the opportunity to attend a number of breakout sessions.
