Atlantic City Public Schools Opened 2025–2026 Academic Year with Fall Convocation

The Atlantic City Public School District officially launched the 2025–2026 academic year with its Fall Convocation on Wednesday, September 3, at Atlantic City High School. The event rallied educators around the theme “Moving with Purpose.”

Superintendent of Schools Dr. La’Quetta S. Small delivered a keynote address that outlined the district’s vision for the year, drawing inspiration from Stephen Covey’s influential book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.

“In order to have a highly effective district, you need highly effective schools,” Dr. Small said. “In order to have highly effective schools, you need highly effective people.”

The district committed to incorporating Covey’s seven habits into daily practice:

• Be proactive – Take initiative to achieve results.
• Begin with the end in mind – Set goals and create a plan for success.
• Put first things first – Prioritize tasks and manage time effectively.
• Think win/win – Approach challenges with optimism and mutual success in mind.
• Seek first to understand, then to be understood – Strengthen communication by listening before speaking.
• Synergize – Collaborate to achieve stronger results.
• Sharpen the saw – Invest in self-care and rejuvenation.

During the convocation, Dr. Small challenged principals and administrative teams to select one of the seven habits, embody it, and share a three-minute motivational reflection. Atlantic City High School set the example by presenting on the habit Be Proactive.

Dr. Small also emphasized the importance of strategic and intentional growth. She encouraged educators to see their work as essential to the district’s success, highlighting that their efforts must be “meaningful, manageable, and intentional.” She reminded attendees that the district would continue refining its practices to demonstrate measurable growth.

Throughout her remarks, Dr. Small underscored collaboration, improved communication, and goal-setting as essential priorities. She called on every school to establish realistic and attainable goals while assuring staff that the district would provide the necessary resources to achieve them.

As the district moved forward with purpose, the convocation served as both a call to action and a moment of reflection. Dr. Small reinforced that progress would be driven not only by district initiatives but also by the collective commitment of individuals working together.

“Our role in this district is to improve efficiency and effectiveness in everything we do,” Dr. Small said. “When we each play our part, we become stronger as a team — and that strength will directly benefit our students.”

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Photo Credit: Atlantic City Public Schools