From Passion to Action: My Journey into Educational Reform

When you think about teachers, what comes to mind? Maybe it’s your favorite teacher or someone who mentored you through a difficult time? When I think about my favorite teacher, I think about two high school teachers who went above and beyond the call of duty for their students. When senior year ended, I absolutely could not wait to go to college so I could be a “Dr. Whittaker” or “Mrs. Felty” for my (then future) students. That was my dream, and it was

what fueled me to enroll in a teacher preparation program at Young Harris College. I graduated in 2017 with starry eyes and big dreams in mind about the world of teaching. Once I graduated college, many life changing moments occurred. I saw the “true and beautiful” and “the good, the bad and the ugly”.  My name is Courtney and my journey in who I am today stems from a 7-year teaching career, a calling from God to make our schools and education systems better, and a relentless pursuit and passion for educational law and policy. I hope that you will come along with me on this journey!

College Years and the Shock of Reality

Shortly after graduating high school, I attended Young Harris College in hopes of becoming a middle school math and science teacher.  After enrolling in their teacher preparation program, I decided to pivot and become an elementary school teacher. As I graduated with my Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education in hand, I felt I would be well prepared for whatever life threw at me. As those who teach know, student teaching only shows a sliver into the educational world. I figured there couldn’t be THAT much of a difference… Unfortunately, I very quickly realized (by no fault of Young Harris) that I was very unprepared for teaching.

The early years of my career were hard. I witnessed so many shortcomings of the education system as a whole. When I would ask administrators questions about why things were done a certain way, I was often met with ridicule or told to “not worry about it”. I was frequently told that “this is the way education has been for the last 30 years and will continue to be for the next 30 years”. My counter argument was always this: As an educator, are we not called to do the very best for our students? Why are we continually setting them up to fail? This is one of the many things that led to restless nights throughout my career. Or rather, the beginning of creating Courtney 2.0, “Woman on a Mission”!

“Woman on a Mission” Is Born

During this time, I had met a woman named Karen at a teacher conference and I credit her for being one of the many catalysts in changing my life. While there, we struck up a conversation about dinosaurs. We became fast friends and we discussed all topics ranging from our favorite stuffed-a-saurus to our commonalities in politics. As a result of our common interests, she invited me to a political meeting. I nervously agreed to go with her as I never imagined myself getting involved. After my first meeting, I was hooked!  It’s an experience that I find hard to define because it changed me to my core. I was surrounded by people who understood my mission, my values, and my belief system! It was “love at first sight” and then the rest very quickly became history. Karen jokingly became known as my “political Mom” to political friends and to my actual Mom. My friendship with Karen is one that I hold dear to my heart to this day. Karen still plays a very active role in my life as one must simply do political things with their “political mom”.

I believe that Karen’s invite catalyzed my life trajectory in ways that could only be described as a “God thing” or “Divine intervention”. Mark Twain once said, “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why”. As I got more involved in politics and the more frustration I felt as a teacher, I began to feel the mountains move. It became abundantly clear that I was put on this earth to make a difference in a way some others would describe as “untraditional”. I felt destined to help with education reform – a way to combine my love of politics and a way to actively pursue change in a way that was not really being discussed at the time. I set my eyes on a path and against all odds I successfully pursued a Master’s degree in Educational Law and Policy. With a lot of prayer, support from friends and family, and maybe just a little too much coffee I graduated in December 2023 from the University of Georgia, Summa Cum Laude. This was something I never dreamed to be possible as I was told by some that I was “not smart enough to get in” and “idiotic to not get my master’s in something specific to my current job”, but as Matthew 19:26 says, “…But with God all things are possible”. And when God sets you on a mission, ANYTHING is TRULY possible!

A Hope and A Vision for the Future

A year after starting my Master’s program, I transferred out of teaching in the traditional school system and began teaching in the charter school sector. This became my solace as I saw “the good and the beautiful”. Although not completely without its own new set of flaws, I saw amazing and wonderful things being done that I had not seen earlier in my career. My experiences while being here helped restore my hope in education. “There is a light at the end of the education tunnel” I thought as I became a “founding teacher” of said charter school. I was FINALLY allowed to really teach and no longer was I ridiculed for wanting to inspire a change in schools! 

Feeling more at peace, I have continued to work for educational reform efforts. I still hold a strong hope for the future as I continue to be a voice in the educational realm. As any teacher, parent, or student would tell you… there is a lot of work to be done! When I envision the future, I metaphorically see all of the students I've had standing behind me, encouraging me to push ahead even when all hope seems lost. “I am doing this for them”, I remind myself. I want to make the world of education a better place and to leave it better than how I found (and eventually leave) it. I hope that you will join me on this journey. 

Welcome Aboard!