Atlanta Mayor rescinds job offer for new Chief Education Officer

Aliya Bhatia was supposed to take over as the city of Atlanta’s new chief education officer this week.
For reasons that remain unclear, Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms reversed that decision.
A spokesperson for the mayor was vague about the reason Bottoms changed her mind about giving Bhatia the job.
“The role of the Chief Education Officer is critical to Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms’ innovative blueprint for academic excellence in the city of Atlanta,” the spokesperson said. “There is no higher priority for this Administration than making sure our children and communities have the tools and direction they need to compete in the advanced workforce of today and tomorrow. We have decided to delay the implementation and start-date of this position to further review some of the nuances that will make this nexus between the city and our education partners even stronger. We appreciate Aliya Bhatia’s remarkable talent and energy, and trust that she will be tremendously successful in her future endeavors.”
Attempts to reach Bhatia were unsuccessful.
A native of metro Atlanta, Bhatia started her career as a teacher with Teach for America and later joined the Boston Consulting Group as an associate and consultant.
She recently completed her Master’s Degree in Public Policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.