Education students lobby at state Capitol

Three University of North Georgia (UNG) students pursuing degrees in kinesiology with teacher certification learned about new legislation and lobbied for various policies on behalf of Georgia teachers at the General Assembly on Feb. 22.

Jessica Byrne, Dawson Henricks, and Will Smith spent the day in Atlanta with Warren Caputo, assistant professor and teacher education preparation coordinator in the Department of Kinesiology, as part of the Professional Association of Georgia Educators Day at the Capitol. They met with State School Superintendent Richard Woods and PAGE President Oatanisha Dawson. All three students are part of the College of Education Ambassador Program.

"We are proud of the way our students represented UNG and the College of Education at this state event," Caputo said. "They were able to gain valuable experience participating in the political process."

Smith appreciated the chance to broaden his perspective.

"As a student, you don't enter school buildings thinking about things such as funding, teacher pay, and the many bills that are discussed among politicians," he said. "With that experience, my value and appreciation for education are even stronger seeing the amount of work that is put in."

Byrne also embraced the opportunity.

"It was an invaluable experience to be able to gain so much insight in such a short period of time and advocate for the future of Georgia education," she said.