The Georgia Association of Educators (GAE) is endorsing Mokah Jasmine Johnson in the race for Georgia House of Representatives District 117, the Mokah for Georgia campaign announced Wednesday.
GAE is the primary professional association of teachers, administrators and other instructional professionals working in Georgia’s public schools. As a mother and former adult GED educator, Johnson said she is especially proud of this endorsement. “My youngest child graduated from the Clarke County School District in May, and it’s clear to me that students and teachers need political support now more than ever,” Johnson said. “As we face unprecedented challenges with virtual learning and school safety, now is not the time to force our educational professionals to cut corners.”
Johnson aims to be a fierce advocate for public education in the state legislature. Her policy plans include fully funding Quality Basic Education (QBE) and reversing the nearly $1 billion in cuts made to education spending during the last legislative session. She also plans to review the formula used to determine funding distributions among Georgia public schools to reflect demographic changes and inflation. Mokah is also a strong supporter of strengthening our HOPE and Zell scholarships, reversing cuts to our dual enrollment programs for high school students, and guaranteeing universal pre-K education. In 2017, Johnson, who has a master’s degree in Education Media Design & Technology, launched the Teen Social Justice Club to provide middle school and high school students with new opportunities to develop self confidence and leadership skills.
GAE member and Clarke County American Government & Civics teacher, Jesse Evans said, “Both personally and professionally, Mokah Johnson knows how important public education is for our children, our families, and our communities. As a State Representative, Mokah Johnson would be an ally and an advocate for public education in Georgia.”
In their endorsement, GAE wrote that they hope to work with Johnson “to fully fund public education and address the inequities currently experienced by our rural, low-income, and minority students. As educators, we are committed to the success of every child; and we know that recovery from the current pandemic will require all of us working toward this goal.”
Clarke County School Board District 3 member, Linda E. Davis said “Speaking for myself, I’m really pleased that the GAE are really paying attention to the issues and looking underneath the surface and beyond sound bites to find the truth—that Mokah is passionate in her commitment to education and the safety of all of our students.”
Through her “Priorities for Progress,” Johnson has also reiterated the need for school safety while dismantling the school-to-prison pipeline that disproportionately derails the lives of our Black and brown students. She has been an advocate of common sense gun control legislation and removing unnecessary and harmful police presence in schools. To read more about Johnson’s education policy, visit mokahforgeorgia.com/platform.