FirstLine Grows Strong Academic Leaders

We are happy to announce that after an in-depth search and interview process involving both internal and external candidates, Shanda Gentry, Arthur Ashe Charter School School Director, has accepted an offer to be the next Chief Academic Officer at FirstLine Schools. Since joining FirstLine in 2018, Shanda has coached and developed her team to boost student achievement,which led to Ashe receiving a “Top Gains” designation for the 2022-23 school year.

With Shanda’s transition out of the School Director role, our very own Glenda Baylis has accepted an offer to be the new School Director of Ashe. Glenda has served as the Middle School Principal at Ashe, where she has fostered a positive learning environment and worked to build strong relationships with students, staff, and families. Prior to that, Glenda was the Assistant Principal and School Leadership Fellow at Langston Hughes Academy from 2017 to 2020. Glenda is currently a semi-finalist for the Louisiana Department of Education’s 2024 Principal of the Year!