The Charles R. Drew Charter School Board of Directors has named Peter McKnight, current Senior Academy principal, as the new Head of School. Mr. McKnight will begin his new role July 1, 2019, succeeding Don Doran who is retiring after 10 years of service to Drew Charter School and a long career with Atlanta Public Schools.
 
Mr. McKnight was selected after a thorough nationwide search led by BoardWalk Consulting in partnership with the Head of School Search Committee.
 
“During the interview and community engagement process, it was clear that Mr. McKnight had the leadership skills, the ability to collaborate with families, staff and partners, and a deep understanding of and commitment to Drew’s mission that would make him an effective and successful Head of School for Drew Charter School,” said Cynthia Kuhlman, Chair of the Board of Directors for Drew Charter School.
 
Mr. McKnight is the founding principal of Drew Charter School’s Senior Academy, a role in which he has served since 2013. In addition to his deep commitment to Drew’s mission and students, he has implemented a rigorous STEAM and Project-Based curriculum and has had tremendous success leading his team and meeting the varying needs of his students. Prior to joining Drew Charter School, Mr. McKnight worked as a teacher at South Atlanta High School and later founded and led the South Atlanta School of Law and Social Justice.
 
Mr. McKnight has a Bachelor of Arts degrees in Religious Studies and Mathematics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He was recently recognized with the 2019 Georgia Charter School Leader of the Year Award.
 
“Through Mr. Doran’s leadership over the past 10 years, Drew has grown to be one of the highest performing schools in the city. We are now a model for Pre-K, Project-Based Learning, STEAM and College and Career Readiness. It is a tremendous honor to steward Drew through the next phase as we continue on our mission to ensure equitable outcomes for all students.  I am thrilled to collaborate with our vibrant community of students, families, staff and partners in pursuing this most critical and courageous work," said Peter McKnight on his new role as Head of School.