Meet Atlanta Heights Charter School Principal Alisha Fisher

“My first – and biggest – influence for becoming an educator was my mother.” From her earliest memories, Alisha Fisher had a love for school. She grew up watching her mother prepare her classroom and teach, but it was the way she genuinely cared for and nurtured her students that left a lasting impression. “As a child, I watched my mother impact the lives of other children, and that created a motivation for me to do the same as an adult.” As a student at Clark University, Alisha spent time volunteering in Atlanta, and her eyes were opened to the educational inequality experienced by so many children of color. “It made me want to impact change so all kids can receive a top-notch education… the educational experience they deserve.”

Alisha received a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education from Clark Atlanta, and a master’s in educational leadership from Kennesaw University. She taught fourth and fifth grade for six years, transferred to Atlanta Public Schools, and eventually moved into the role of an instructional coach. She joined us at National Heritage Academies as a middle school dean for four years before being promoted to principal at Atlanta Heights Charter School during the 2018-19 school year. This year she’s been the principal from day one.

“I would say that out of my desire to provide the best educational experience we can, my philosophy is to provide rigorous instruction for every scholar, every day. But Atlanta Heights is also a place that children love to come to. They know they’re going to receive love and a private school education at no cost. For me, this philosophy is in every detail, from the uniforms to the brightness in the hallways, to keeping things clean and colorful, and of course to the security and safety our students feel in the classroom. Our goal is empowering families so our kids get to college and beyond. When your kids are with us, you can trust that the education they’re receiving equates to what we want for our own children. Our job isn’t done until every child in every classroom is getting the experience we would want for our own.”

Alisha considers herself a foodie – she loves to cook meals and go to restaurants. She prefers “Mexican food and anything breakfast.” She also enjoys movies and taking part in her children’s favorite activities – basketball for her 16-year-old son, Ayden, and dance for her 7-year-old daughter, London.

About Atlanta Heights Charter School:
Atlanta Heights Charter School is a tuition-free, public charter school in Atlanta, Georgia, serving students in kindergarten through eighth grade. It is part of the National Heritage Academies network, which includes more than 100 tuition-free, public charter schools serving more than 65,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade across nine states. For more information, visit nhaschools.com.

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