Matt Underwood

Matt Underwood

2019 NACSA Leader

Executive Director, Innovation Atlanta Public Schools

Matt Underwood serves as the Executive Director for Innovation for the Atlanta Public Schools, where he helps oversee the district’s authorization and performance management of all charter and partner school contracts. He also develops policies and practices that promote flexibility and innovation in support of improved educational outcomes.

Prior to joining APS in January 2019, Matt served for 12 years as the Executive Director of the Atlanta Neighborhood Charter School, a former Georgia Charter School of the Year. Matt began his career as a public school educator with teaching experience at schools in Atlanta, Chicago, New York City, and Boston. Matt holds a B.S. in Education from Northwestern University and a M.Ed. in School Leadership from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.


Most Recent Posts
How to Build an Inclusive Workforce Culture: Let the Data Drive You
FOURTH IN A SERIES In our rapidly evolving world, fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within organizations has become more than a moral imperative. It’s also a strategic necessity.  However,...
Fort Worth ISD: Partnerships & Accountability
Guest blog written by David Saenz, Ed.D. The March 2024 episode of Community Conversations with NACSA told the story of Fort Worth Independent School District’s Leadership Academy Network, a unique...
DEI Deconstructed: Using the Power You Have
THIRD IN A SERIES In Chapter 5 of Lily Zheng’s book, DEI Deconstructed: Your No-Nonsense Guide to Doing the Work and Doing It Right, they start the chapter by recounting...