Mikayla Arciaga

Uniting Community Voices in Georgia Policymaking – Podcast Episode 225 | Classnotes Podcast 225

Classnotes Podcast (July 20, 2022). This year was the first time IDRA has had a team in Georgia to lead advocacy in its legislative session. They focused on key issues like school funding, culturally sustaining schooling and LGBTQ civil rights, that impact all Georgia students, but especially students in marginalized spaces.

In this episode, Mikayla Arciaga and Terrence Wilson sat down with Morgan Craven to reflect on the session, including what they learned about state-level education policymaking in Georgia. They described what it is like to be an advocate of color fighting for students of color in this state.

Morgan Craven, J.D., is the IDRA National Director of Policy, Advocacy and Community Engagement, Terrence Wilson, J.D., is the IDRA Director of Regional Policy & Community Engagement, and our Mikayla Arciaga, M.A.Ed., is an IDRA Education Policy Fellow.

Show length: 26:43 min

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Resources

Georgia Education Advocacy, webpage with highlights of IDRA’s work during the Georgia General Assembly session in early 2022

Georgia Education Policy Update: General Assembly Wrap  Up – Community voices were strong, April 8, 2022

IDRA Education Policy Fellows Program

Video of Mikayla’s testimony: Schools Should Value Student’s Lived Experiences, Not Censor Them – IDRA Testimony against HB 1084 in the Georgia General Assembly, presented by Mikayla Arciaga, M.A.Ed, to the House Education Academic Innovation Subcommittee, February 9, 2022

Video of Terrence testifying: Transgender Students Deserve Affirmation and Support Not Exclusion and Marginalization – IDRA Testimony against Senate Bill 435, submitted by Terrence Wilson, J.D., to the Georgia Senate Education and Youth Committee, February 9, 2022

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Show Notes

  • Mikayla and Terrence give an overview of their work during the legislative session.

  • Mikayla and Terrence talk about challenging issues they had to address – including how students should talk and learn about racism – as well as concerning approaches to policymaking that they saw.

  • Mikayla reflects on the overall inaccessibility of the legislative process to the general public, and she and Terrence discuss potential avenues for improvement.

  • Mikayla recounts her proudest moments during the session, including giving testimony during a public hearing.

  • Terrence stresses the importance of speaking from a lens of equity.

  • Terrence and Mikayla reflect on their experiences working during the legislative session as people of color.