OCHS teacher selected for state policy program

Michelle Mickens has made an impact at Oglethorpe County High School — and now she will at the state level, too.

Mickens, who joined OCHS as an 11th-grade English teacher this year, is one of 20 selected for the Teacher Policy Fellowship, a Georgia Department of Education program for teachers to engage in the educational policy-making process. 

“She's so passionate about her profession,” OCHS Principal Bill Sampson said. “I think that's what makes it so special, is that she really wants to make a difference for teachers and for students, and just education in general.”

Mickens, whose proposal addresses young teacher retention, will be involved in a nine-month program before she presents her ideas to a group of Georgia legislators. 

“The people who work in the policy department, they're working really, really hard to create policies that are focused on teacher recruitment and retention,” Mickens said. “And the best way to do that is to listen to teachers.”

According to a 2015 study by the Georgia’s Professional Standards Commission, “44% of the state’s public school teachers leave education within the first five years of employment.” 

Mickens is advocating for increasing mentorships, giving teachers a voice in schools, and making teachers aware of federal policies about how schools operate.

She said she believes increasing the retention rate among young teachers will prevent the field from drying up. 

“Our schools and hospitals, in a rural community in particular, are (our) two greatest employers,” Mickens said. “(Without them), your entire societal structure collapses. You have to have schools, and you have to have teachers.” 

Mickens said she hopes her proposal will help policymakers see what they can do to keep young teachers and improve the experiences of educators across the board. 

“I've spent my whole life advocating for students, and I'll continue to do that,” Mickens said. “But I really see the need now for those supports for teachers.” 

Mickens’ passion for education policy

This is Mickens’ 21st year as an educator, but her recent move to OCHS has been a full-circle experience. She was a student-teacher in Oglethorpe County while getting her undergraduate degree from the University of Georgia. She later received a master’s from Kennesaw State, a specialist degree from Valdosta State and formerly taught at Washington-Wilkes High School.

Mickens’ interest in policy, though, started when she was State Teacher of the Year runner-up in 2022, which allowed her to work on State Superintendent Richard Woods’ Teacher Advisory Council. During that time, she worked on a teacher burnout report that revealed the three factors causing teachers to leave the field: mandated tests, evaluation methods and the lack of teacher input in decisions.

“I've never talked to a teacher who didn't enjoy teaching anymore when they left the field,” Mickens said. “It's all very much teachers feeling overburdened with work (and like) their time is not valued.” 

So, through the fellowship, teachers like Mickens will engage in seminars and conversations with legislators, experts from the Georgia Department of Education and other policy agencies to learn about how state legislators craft educational policy. 

“I think what people don't realize about education is a lot of our policymakers, or our Congress people, they have no idea about education if we don't tell them,” Mickens said. 

Sampson said the county is excited to have one of its teachers be a part of this program in its inaugural year. 

“I think it's just an excellent opportunity for teachers to be involved in reviewing policy, looking at how policy is made and contributing ideas,” he said. “And (we at) Oglethorpe County, we're really excited about having a teacher who can have a voice out there.”