Peoplestown is a charming and close-knit community in Atlanta, Georgia. The community is known for its welcoming atmosphere, Victorian-style homes, and lush greenery.

“It’s a sense of community. It really is,” said Yolonda Jones, a counselor at the Barack and Michelle Obama Academy, which is nestled in the heart of this historic neighborhood. “I can remember the Peoplestown community when I attended church down the street.”

The old name was D.H. Stanton Elementary School, after Daniel H. Stanton. History shows that he was a locally known spiritual leader fighting against segregation. The school’s name change in 2017 has been a significant boost to the school’s legacy and reputation. The Barack and Michelle Obama Academy has nearly three hundred students enrolled.

“To continue that legacy and to build up this community, as the people in the community thrive, I think it’s wonderful and great to see the students’ smiling faces,” said Jones. “I want to tell you that I think that Barack and Michelle Obama Academy, known as ‘BAMO,’ is a best-kept secret in Georgia.” According to Jones, the students are doing great things, including fifth grader Omari Johnson, who has attended BAMO since kindergarten.

“I’ve been selected to do special things like interviews, talking in front of people, and performing,” said Omari. He is also succeeding academically, making A’s in all his classes.

Omari is a proud member of the school band and chorus. He loves singing with the choir and has found that it’s one of the things he likes best about being part of the school. He is also preparing for a performance for Black History Month. Omari says he has even learned a thing or two about water.
“I’ve learned about water pollution and why I should not throw trash in lakes or ponds,” he said. While BAMO has made great strides over the years, it was only possible with teachers and leaders like Principal Robin Christian.

“We’ve had an amazing journey; we still have a ways to go with student achievement. But it is somewhere that I’m very proud to lead daily,” she said.

The Metro Atlanta Area has other schools named after our former President and First Lady. There is Barack H. Obama Elementary School in DeKalb County and Michelle Obama Academy in Clayton County. Since Atlanta Public Schools is a Charter District, they can work closely with stakeholders to develop elaborate ideas.

“We’re Barack and Michelle Obama Academy. So, we had to come up with this, you know. Because branding is very important, and so, we felt that should be the name of our school,” said Christian. As soon as someone walks into the academy, they may sense the atmosphere of excellence. The walls of the hallways are adorned with art that mirrors the images of those who have played a significant role in shaping American history. The walkways are well-labeled and marked for easy navigation. Being situated in the center of a neighborhood, BAMO can be reached on foot by many students, which helps create strong connections.

“We moved to this neighborhood in 2016, knowing that our children would attend this school,” said Alicia DeCrisio, who has four kids attending BAMO. DeCrisio invited the principal over for dinner, and Christian accepted the invitation but wanted her assistant principal and liaison to attend as well. DeCrisio said that encounter told her and her husband everything they needed to know about BAMO, and one thing that stood out during dinner was the school’s open-door policy.

“She knew that the secret sauce was parental and community involvement,” DeCrisio said. Christian, who has over thirty years of experience in public education, said when she began her principalship at BAMO, she had a vision. Over the years, what she, the parents, and the community manifested has come to fruition.

“We went through a $10 million renovation; it’s a school that people are proud to attend,” said Christian. We are really that beacon of light for our community; we’re the hub of the community.”

BAMO’s mission is to enrich, nurture, and respect all children as unique individuals while fostering an environment that develops every child’s social, emotional, physical, and intellectual development.

Watch the video version of this story at https://bit.ly/BAMOAcademy_2024. And for more information, visit www.atlantapublicschools.us/BaMOAcademy.