TIFTON — In a double-header of Democratic rallies, state school superintendent candidate Alisha Thomas Searcy assured Tift County residents that she would fight for the educational rights of students.

Following a forum of more than seven Democratic candidates recently, Searcy organized a personal meet-and-greet event at The Place in Downtown Tifton, where she gave a more in-depth look at her campaign and hopes for reform.

Having previously served as a state representative for District 39, where she represented Cobb County as its first African American state representative, Searcy announced her determination to make history again as Georgia’s first Black state superintendent.

“It’s not just for the sake of making history,” Searcy said. “It’s about that perspective, that experience, that understanding of what all kinds of people face, how to solve these problems.”

Searcy spoke on her prior experience acting as a superintendent for the Ivy Prep Academy school system in the metropolitan Atlanta area, admitting that while it was a strenuous tenure, the similarities to what Georgia’s educational system is facing makes her a fitting candidate to remedy the current situation.

As Ivy Prep’s superintendent, Searcy said she raised the College and Career Ready Performance Index scores of the elementary and middle schools in the system from a 43 and 65 to an 85 and 81, respectively, as well as raising the teacher retention rate from 25% to 75%.

She said incumbent State Superintendent Richard Woods’ past actions would be an indicator of his future decisions.

After opening the floor to the audience, Searcy answered questions and concerns pertaining to greater support for teachers, proper care of students and a solution to double standard or unfair punishment concerns.

Searcy promised if she is elected to the position she would ensure teachers receive a pay increase, bumping them up to $65,000 a year, and would work to implement various processes and systems to ensure they are better supported.

These measures would include allowing mental health days, granting time off for teachers to engage in conferences with their children’s teachers, and working with school principals to create environments in schools that would better support teachers.

She said she would work to rebuild relationships between teachers and students to foster better learning environments and would found two new offices – the Office of the Teacher Advocate and the Office of Equity – that would assist in solving any disparities and creating a fair educational environment.

Tifton City Councilman Lester Cromer and Tift County Commissioner Melissa Hughes also lent their support to Searcy, encouraging people to vote and take initiative as well as spread the word for her campaign.

Searcy thanked the two for their support, as well as all of the Tiftarea residents that were in attendance for coming out to speak with her.

“It’s my prayer that you see my heart, that you can tell that I am deeply concerned about our education system, and that I have prepared for this moment,” Searcy said. “There’s not another state school superintendent candidate that we’ve had in the last 20 years, at least, who was a state legislator prior, or who has run a system of schools prior to being the state superintendent. I believe we are all prepared for the moments we are in right now, and I believe that I have prepared for this moment.”