Lydia Catalina PowellLydia Catalina Powell

The State School Superintendent oversees Georgia’s public education system, helping school districts improve student achievement while managing education funding and statewide standards. The position shapes the future workforce by preparing students for college, careers, military service, and skilled trades. Dr. Lydia Powell is a longtime educator and school leader who has spent decades working directly with students, teachers, and school systems. Her classroom and leadership experience gives her firsthand knowledge of what Georgia’s schools need to succeed.

“I believe that I should be supported in my candidacy for State Superintendent of Schools because I know firsthand the importance of the work that your organization does to protect students. Districts around the state do not have clear guidance on how to acclimate students from the LGBTQ community into our schools, especially when they transfer from other states, metropolitan areas, or from a homeschool setting.

The registration process, graduation conversations and name changes, managing teachers with biases, and bullying protocols are all real issues that our LGBTQ students and parents face. I have had to manage and work through all of those situations firsthand.

The state needs a leader with firsthand experience navigating these issues to create a safe and inclusive environment for all students. We have to ensure that every group gets what it needs through policy and law to achieve equity.”