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November 20, 2011

Dalton parent educator wins national Parents as Teachers award

By Mimi Ensley, Dalton Public Schools

Lilia Jimenez Gante knows that for children to be successful in school, learning has to begin way before they step foot into that first classroom. Learning begins at home. Learning begins from birth.

Gante is a parent educator serving Dalton children with the Parents as Teachers program through the Family Support Council. The program, funded in part through a grant from Dalton Public Schools, is an initiative that helps parents teach and care for their children during the critical early years of the child’s life. Gante recently received the National Parents as Teachers Educator of the Year Award and was honored at the national conference on Nov. 6 in St. Louis.

“Helping my community, helping the parents give the children success in school is my main goal,” Gante said. “I want to see more of the Hispanic community graduating from high school, and with this program, they can start early.”

One child, for example, began in the program with Gante when she was just 18 months old. And Gante is incredibly proud of how far the young student has come.

“Now the child is almost 4, and she’s so ready for school,” Gante said. “She knows her colors. She knows how to spell her name. Mom is so surprised with her.”

Ginger Robinson, director of Parents as Teachers in Dalton, elaborated on the benefits of the program, emphasizing the early windows of opportunity each child has to learn most effectively.

“Getting them ready for kindergarten is critical because if they start school not ready to learn at that point then they’re already behind, and it’s much harder to catch up,” Robinson said. “The earlier you can get the children and get them on target for their age level, then they are going to be better able to be successful in school.”

But Gante said the program is also about working with the parents, and making the parents as involved as possible in the education process.

“We teach them. We teach the parents and see how the child is developing,” she said. “We see if there are things they can do.”

If the child or family needs help, the program might make referrals to other community agencies and resources — all with the goal of getting the child and the parent on track for success at the schools.

“I think it gets the parents ready. It connects them to learning. It makes them realize their important role, which is key, because parents are children’s first teachers,” Robinson said. “If they take that role, that responsibility in their child’s learning, then it makes school and their connection with school much better.”

Gante was recognized by the Dalton Board of Education at its August meeting after she was notified of her honor. Superintendent Jim Hawkins expressed how proud he was of Gante and of the work she and the Family Support Council do for Dalton students.

“Supporting the families of young children so that they can begin to teach and nurture their children in ways they might not have without this instruction provides lasting benefits,” he said.

Following the ceremony at the national conference, Gante said she wanted to thank her husband and daughters for supporting her; her supervisor, Ginger Robinson; Holly Rice, executive director of the Family Support Council; her fellow parent educators; the Georgia Parents as Teachers Network headed by Roberta Malavenda and Sara Jane Blackman; and a special thank you to all the families that have allowed her to work with them.

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