About US

In May 2020, a group of concerned equity-centric educators and alumni within Gwinnett County Public Schools came together and decided to form the grassroots movement, Gwinnett Educators for Equity and Justice (GEEJ), based on the premise of educational equity for students and stakeholders affiliated with GCPS. Due to the racial upheaval within the nation, the educators involved deemed it necessary to protect the increasingly diverse population of students, especially those deemed the most marginalized. Since a viable education is the second most important determining factor for combatting generational poverty; for many students an equitable education may be their only opportunity to achieve success and increase their odds of obtaining a viable income and bridge the wealth inequality gap.

In order to achieve educational equity for all students, especially Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) students that find themselves casted into the margins, GEEJ asked Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) superintendent and his staff for the following:

1) By the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year, create and mandate an implicit bias training for all faculty and staff in order to uncover and reduce their biases.

2) By the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year, the district should create local and district advisory councils on equity and justice that make recommendations based on data and allow anonymous reporting forms for incidents and experiences of bias to be accessible to students, families, faculty, staff, and other community members.

3) By the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year, all local schools should release specific recruitment and retention plans for Black and other diverse teachers and administrators. These plans will contribute to civic-minded and culturally responsive GCPS students and graduates.

4) During the 2020-2021 school year, create and mandate culturally responsive curriculum lessons and resources around mandatory Black history/Africana studies and optional ethnic studies courses for middle and high school students.

In order to achieve outcomes, the core team of GEEJ met and strategically planned with district officials, affiliated grassroots community organizations, and stakeholders within GCPS and the State of Georgia. During this movement, Black members of this grassroots movement found themselves ostracized and antagonized for their pro-Civil Rights stance in public schools with inequitable teaching and learning. Some Black teacher advocates were wrongfully terminated or voluntarily surrendered their position due to the stress of their plight as an educator.

Through the coalitions built within the movement, GEEJ realized that many Black educators across the State of Georgia wanted to speak out and protect their most marginalized students, but they were afraid of hindering the longevity of their career. The founding members of GEEJ saw the dire need for a professional organization that is solely invested in the protection, health, and wellness of the Black equity-centric educator, and therefore, Georgia Educators for Equity and Justice (GAEEJ) was founded April of 2021.

With racial upheaval being at all time high across the United States, the GAEEJ board deemed it necessary to protect Black educators and students from further marginalization due to their intersectionality.

Since the inception of the organization, GAEEJ has provided insight about the state of affairs in Black public education to educational stakeholders including but not limited to: educators, education professors, district officials, principals, assistant principals, parents, professional organizations, and students in order to increase awareness of the profound phenomenon.

At GAEEJ, we not only champion the empowerment of Black educators and students, but our initiatives also contribute significantly to the broader educational landscape.

By enhancing teaching quality through professional development and support systems, we're raising educational standards across the board.

Our work fosters inclusive, well-rounded learning environments, benefitting all students. This holistic approach to education not only uplifts marginalized communities but also strengthens the entire educational ecosystem, creating a more equitable, knowledgeable, and empathetic society.

Mission

To restore prestige to the teaching profession and ensure safe, supportive environments for Black educators and their students.

Vision

To cultivate a teaching profession enriched by enhanced support and resources, significantly boosting the recruitment and retention of Black educators.