Dr. Beverly L. Hall became the 15th appointed superintendent of the Atlanta Public Schools on July 1, 1999. During her tenure, her efforts have centered on setting an aggressive reform agenda to accelerate student achievement using nationally proven reform models, overseeing facility upgrades and redesigning business operations. Under her leadership, standardized test scores have risen, aging facilities have been renovated and a new blueprint for business operations is being implemented.

Prior to her post in Atlanta, Dr. Hall was state district superintendent of the Newark Public Schools, the largest school district in the state of New Jersey. Before then, she served as deputy chancellor for instruction of the New York City Public Schools. Her many outside responsibilities include serving as chair of Harvard University's Urban Superintendents Program Advisory Board; a member of the board of trustees of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Smart Government Advisory Board of the Center for American Progress; and as secretary-treasurer of the Council of the Great City Schools.

In February 2009, she was named the National Superintendent of the Year by the American Association of School Administrators, the top professional honor for a K-12 education leader in the country. In addition, she won recognition as the 2009 State Superintendent of the Year by the Georgia School Superintendents Association. In the 22-year history of both the national and state awards, Dr. Hall is the first superintendent from Georgia and Atlanta, respectively, to receive the honors. She is also the first K-12 superintendent to receive the prestigious Keystone Award for Leadership in Education.

A nationally recognized educator, Dr. Hall frequently speaks to local, state and national organizations about improving public education, particularly in urban areas. She earned a B.A. in English from Brooklyn College, an M.S. in Guidance and Counseling from The City University of New York, and a Ph.D. in Education from Fordham University.