The 116th U.S. Congress shattered a number of barriers when a historic number of women of color were sworn in on January 3. The ranks include New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, 29, the youngest woman ever elected to the House or Senate, and Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar, Congress’s  first Somali-American member.

Also making history is a former high school history teacher and 2016 National Teacher of the Year. Rep. Jahana Hayes, the first black woman from Connecticut to serve in Congress, was one of more than 170 current teachers who ran for office this election cycle, according to Education Week.

Before taking office, Hayes spoke to Education Week about her legislative priorities—she hopes to join the House education committee—as well as her thoughts on Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, her experiences on the campaign trail, and what her election means for her students. 

Here are some excerpts:

On Her Decision to Run for Office

“The defining moment for me was when I had a group of my students in California for a Habitat for Humanity trip because what I did was service—I had a club called the HOPE club, which stood for Helping Out People Everywhere. I really wanted to instill in these young people that you have a responsibility to be of service to others; to help in your community in any way that you can. And I had these kids in California this year, over spring break, and literally just looked at them and had a moment where I thought, ‘I’m teaching them about this world that waits for them and their responsibility to be contributors. And I see this being chipped away at.’ You know, ‘Who will speak for them?’ is a line that I’ve said often, but that’s really where it came from. I asked myself that question, ‘Who will speak for them?’ and decided I was going to run for Congress to speak for all of those people who do not have a voice in the conversation.”

On Her Priorities in Congress

Hayes wants to prioritize universal pre-K, career readiness, civics education, and mentoring new teachers.

On Education Secretary Betsy DeVos

On School Safety and Arming Teachers

[Editor’s note: Hayes represents the district that encompasses Newtown, where the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting took place.]

“I worked in a school with 1,300 young people. I would never want the responsibility of securing a firearm in a school with 1,300 teenagers or having to have a conversation that began, ‘I thought I locked my desk,’ or ‘I don’t know how they got the gun away from me.’ My husband is a police officer. We have firearms in our house. If there’s an active shooter in a school and police are deployed, it’s a high-tense, high-pressure situation. To have almost no training and be expected to use a firearm in a high-pressure situation, I don’t think I would want that responsibility.

We need to have more background checks to make it more difficult for people to obtain firearms illegally. We have a lot of conversation about getting them off the streets. How about, let’s stop them from getting on the streets. I think we really need to look at mental health and the crisis that we have surrounding mental health.

On Inspiring Young People to Get Civically Engaged

Hayes’ historic campaign motivated her students and other young people to get involved in politics, she said.

On Her Experience as 2016 National Teacher of the Year

“I saw education through so many different lenses. I had been a classroom teacher in the state of Connecticut in the same community where I was born and raised for my entire career. But what I saw [during my travels across the country] was that different communities were suffering with the same challenges, and different communities have tried different approaches. What I saw was that we want the same things… Different states, different demographics, and people were having the same conversations. And I realized that this is a national conversation. It’s not just about what affects kids at Kennedy High School in Waterbury, but it’s everywhere. In Wisconsin, New Mexico—everywhere around the country—people are faced with the same challenges, and we just want the best outcomes for our children and to elevate the profession.”

Click HERE to watch Rep. Hayes discuss her Teacher of the Year experience – and Congressional orientation – on Late Night with Seth Meyers.

Filed under: K-12 Education News, Special Features

Tags: Congress, Education Week, federal education policy, Jahana Hayes, national teacher of the year, politics, Public Policy