Today we’d like to introduce you to Aireane Montgomery.
Hi Aireane, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started from humble beginnings, my father being the ambitious solo entrepreneur of the 90s in Atlanta and my mother being a college graduate who held a paraprofessional role for over 20 years. I am a mix of my parent’s best attributes. Growing up between Gwinnett, Fulton, and Clayton County, made me extremely well-rounded. I was able to see the best of all Metro Atlanta had to offer and found my grove in the in-between.
While living in Clayton County and Fulton County, I went to school in Gwinnett County because my mother was a paraprofessional in the district. Even though our housing was incredibly unstable, I still managed to go to Brookwood High School, one of the most affluent clusters in the district. Due to performing well scholastically, I unfortunately experienced being the only or one of few Black students in my classes.
While I reflect and am grateful for truly being college-ready, it still truly took a toll on my psyche. I remember only having one Black educator, Mrs. Swetnam, during my whole K12 experience. She had such a positive and profound impact on my life that I decided that I wanted to be a teacher that I always wanted to have the same profound effect on student’s lives.
Even though I graduated undergrad with a political science degree, I knew I still wanted to teach before pursuing law school. Even though I never made it to law school, I did end up teaching back in the same district I graduated from. This time when returning to the district, I would teach 12th-grade social studies in a Title I School, Central Gwinnett High School.
The students of Central Gwinnett High School would remind me of myself when coming up in the district as a Title I student. We would share similar dreams, aspirations, and temporary setbacks. It was if I got a chance to look in the mirror. I was able to truly relate and empathize with my students and offer guidance from my own life experiences.
During my second year of teaching, quarantine took place due to the spread of Covid-19. Within a flash, my students were displaced from the classroom and expected to learn without the proper resources necessary to be successful such as adequate wifi and access to a laptop or Chromebook. A colleague, teacher, and close friend of mine, Anthony Downer II, asked me to help him run a grassroots movement around educational equity in Gwinnett County Public Schools.
This moment truly changed the trajectory of my life. A group of resilient and courageous comrades drafted a list of demands to the then superintendent and his staff, the AJC, and the Gwinnett Daily Post to change the very structures that did not promote equity and justice for the diversity of students in the county. Through this grassroots movement, I was able to help bring about lasting change for the students and teachers of GCPS.
GCPS created equity councils, culturally responsive classes such as ethnic studies, and the implementation of one-to-one devices for students across the district. While doing this work within the district, I started to understand the inequities that teachers face on a daily basis when trying to do the most necessary job on the planet.
Therefore, I decided to start a nonprofit organization, Georgia Educators for Equity and Justice Incorporated to protect and serve Black educators, early career educators, and students. With all the contention around public education, there was a need for more safe spaces where teachers could flourish in the community with the resources and support necessary.
Therefore, Georgia Educators for Equity and Justice Incorporated (GAEEJ) was founded on April 15th, 2021. Since founding the organization, GAEEJ has been able to impact public education in the State of Georgia. I am currently building an Afrofuture-styled apparel line dedicated to securing financial capital for nonprofit founders of color. I continue to live my life about what feels good to my spirit.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
My journey has not been without major twists and turns, but I have experienced life and to be honest, I greatly appreciate it just the way it is. Without a test, I could not have a testimony. Through my lived experiences, I have been able to become a more and more empathetic teacher and leader.
Although I have seen many successes in my career, I have struggled with imposter syndrome and worthiness which caused me not to enjoy the highs while also feeling very discouraged during the low times. Another struggle I have had was learning how to navigate running a business as a teacher and activist. While Georgia Educators for Equity and Justice Inc. was founded through radical love, really understanding the nuances of being sustainable in business created another challenge in itself.
With the majority of philanthropy funding shifting from racial equity to generative AI and machine learning, I had to tap into creating innovative and sustainable solutions to make us marketable in this new industrial revolution while still staying on the brand of providing liberatory education to the public education sector.
As you know, we’re big fans of Georgia Educators for Equity and Justice Incorporated. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Georgia Educators for Equity and Justice Inc. (GAEEJ) is a 501c3 devoted to the liberation and belonging of Black teachers and students across the State of Georgia. We provide comprehensive strategic solutions and training for retaining diverse quality educators in the classroom while lowering the teacher attrition rate.
We help teachers and school districts establish themselves as experts in workforce development by creating psychologically safe rigorous classrooms for students in an increasingly automated world. Our organization is known for its advocacy. We dig deep into the nuances of the teacher experience and advocate for equity in all aspects of the public education ecosystem to seek systemic change.
We are set apart as an organization of millennial visionaries who continuously have the audacity to push the envelope to seek the change needed for humanity. We are all very brilliant in our own right and come together to build community and be the change we seek. I am most proud of our brand for getting recognition and opportunities to collaborate with other pioneer organizations like the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.
They are a staple organization for Black progress in the United States and it is truly an honor to work alongside them at points to carry out this work. What I would love for every Black educator, early career educator, student, or educational stakeholder is that we are fighting for you. Education is truly the great equalizer and all students deserve to have a true “college-prep curriculum” in all classrooms across the State of Georgia.
Networking and finding a mentor can have a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
Finding a mentor or a connector is a spiritual ordeal for me. I have a very big belief that you should not share your energy or dreams with everyone so therefore, so finding a mentor can be a challenge. Encounters are important to me! I believe that there is something to learn from everyone so it is easy for me to vet a mentor because I understand the importance of listening intentionally.
Some of my current mentors have been once a supervisor figure to me or are my current friends or both. Through our interactions, I was able to truly witness leadership firsthand and was inspired to learn from them. Many of the mentors are amazing Black women who continue to persevere against all odds. I have a profound respect for them and continue to build with them. My advice is to be selective in your selection.
Honestly, I have had people ask to mentor me and I declined based on misalignment. Age ain’t nothing but a number, you can be mentored by a peer or someone younger than you. What has worked well for me is truly being only and willing to receive at a moment’s notice. You truly never know who you are going to meet.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.gaeej.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ga_eej/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GAEEJ
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aireane-montgomery/. https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgia-educators-for-equity-and-justice-inc-538907243
