Micayla Tatum

Micayla Tatum is the Director of Early Childhood Policy at Mississippi First. During her time with Mississippi First, Micayla has led the expansion of the organization’s early education issue area to focus more widely on the 0-5 space. Micayla is a passionate advocate for public education and believes that all children, regardless of where they are born, should have access to a high-quality education that prepares them to engage with their community and the world. Micayla left the classroom in her sixth year of teaching. She is a 2016 Teach for America alumna and co-founder of the Bettye Smith Brown Memorial Scholarship. Micayla was also a Teach Plus Mississippi Senior Policy Fellow and a recipient of Amherst College’s Class of ‘54 Commitment to Teaching Fellowship Award (2021). She earned two bachelor’s degrees (cum laude) in American Studies and Anthropology, as well as a certificate in Native American and Indigenous Studies at Amherst College and a master’s degree in Education Policy and Leadership at American University.