Wheeler High School (Georgia)

Wheeler High School is located in northeast Cobb County, Georgia. It is near the U.S. city of Marietta, about 15 miles (24 km) northwest of downtown Atlanta. The school has been in operation since 1965. It is a public high school, accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. It is named for Joseph Wheeler who was a Confederate military leader, and later, an American military leader and politician.

Joseph Wheeler High School
Address
375 Holt Rd.

Marietta
,
GA
30068

United States
Coordinates33°57′32″N 84°28′40″W
Information
TypePublic high school
Established1965 (1965)
School districtCobb County School District
PrincipalPaul Gillihan
Teaching staff125.70 (on an FTE basis)[1]
Grades9–12[2]
Enrollment2,179 (2019-20)[1]
Student to teacher ratio17.33[1]
Color(s)Navy, Gold, & White
     
NicknameWildcats
Websitewww.wheelerhigh.com

Wheeler High School entrance

The Center For Advanced Studies in Science, Math, & Technology

Wheeler High School's Center For Advanced Studies in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math) began teaching classes in 1999. Since then, it has accepted about 100 freshmen every year. Wheeler's program is a member of the National Consortium for Specialized Secondary Schools of Mathematics, Science, and Technology.[3] The coursework allows magnet students to begin taking college-level courses in math and science by eleventh grade and participating in internships at local businesses by twelfth grade. In 2014 the magnet program earned the STEM Certified School Outreach from Tag-Ed,[4] a Georgia STEM organization.

Efforts to Change Name

In June 2020, students, alumni, and community members began circulating an online petition to change the name of Wheeler High School due to the namesake's ties to the Confederate States of America. The petition received support from Charisse Davis, the school board member representing Wheeler High School and the school's Student Government Association. Some have opposed the move, including school board member David Banks, who argues that the issue is overly politicized and that Wheeler's later service as an American politician and as an American military leader during the Spanish-American war should be noted.[5] As of March 2021, the name change is still under consideration.[6] The movement has received praise from notable alumni including Jaylen Brown.

Notable alumni

References
  1. "Wheeler High School". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
  2. "Wheeler High School". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
  3. "Wheeler Magnet School - The Center for Advanced Studies. Leading the Nation in STEM Education". wheelermagnet.com. Retrieved 19 December 2015.
  4. "Winners Announced for Third Annual STEM Education Awards". TAG EDUCATION COLLABORATIVE. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 19 December 2015.
  5. Kolakowski, Ryan. "Wheeler students calling on district to "reevaluate" school name". MDJOnline.com. Retrieved 2021-04-01.
  6. Dixon, Kristal (June 18, 2020). "Petitions want Cobb to change names of Wheeler, Walton high schools". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  7. "Amir Abdur-Rahim - Men's Basketball Coach".
  8. Westerholm, Tom (February 4, 2020). "How Boston Celtic's Jaylen Brown inspired kids from his high school alma mater to get their test scores up". MassLive.com. Retrieved May 31, 2020.
  9. Archived 2016-08-03 at the Wayback Machine
  10. "Douglas Lima MMA Bio". Retrieved 2014-01-01.
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