Atlanta Public Schools (APS) students and community members were given an opportunity to make their voices heard at the Voices of the Vote student-led candidate forum held at Georgia State University.
The event, which was sponsored by RedefinEd Atlanta, hosted nine of the 13 candidates for seats 2,4,6, and 8 on the Atlanta Board of Education. APS Student Advisory Council (SAC) Chair Laila Shannon and Vice Chair Anisa Baker served as the forum’s emcees for the evening and guided the conversation with the candidates.
“We invited students from across the district to ask questions, learn, and to really engage,” said Dr. Kyra Caldwell-Templeton, the APS program director of Student Engagement and SAC co-advisor. “This opens the door and opportunities for students who are not on the council or may not be affiliated with SGA to engage with these individuals who will ultimately be making decisions for them next year.”
Shannon, a senior at Drew Charter School, said it was important for students to hear directly from the candidates so they can be informed on the opinions of the future decision makers. She was pleased to hear that each of the candidates spoke toward emphasizing equity across the district.
“The candidates’ opinions reflect the potential decisions that will be made and those decisions affect us,” she said. “It’s really important that we have an idea and see face-to-face the people who are going to be making those decisions for us because education is really the gateway for life after high school and the way that is structured is really important.”
The candidates covered a variety of topics including school safety, student mental health, equity, and more before taking questions directly from students and other attendees in the audience. This opportunity allowed for students to share their experiences and express issues regarding their schools directly to the candidates.
“This event shows that students want to be involved, and if given the opportunity, they will show up,” Shannon said. “It further shows that access to these events and certain opportunities is so important.” While only voting eligible students will have a say in the upcoming elections, opportunities like the student-led candidate forum provide a space where students can be engaged with the process and share what’s important to them with the leaders making decisions about their future.