Dekalb County Schools, under the leadership of Dr. Jason Barnett, understands the importance of parent and community involvement when it comes to students being successful in the classroom. The question was, “How do we engage our parents?” DeKalb County School Systems Parental Engagement Specialist, Mrs. Tara Kirby, jumped on the opportunity to start a program that she felt would engage students, teachers, and parents. After much research and conversations with parents and teachers, she started what is now called BE THERE.
The program simply encourages and reminds parents of the importance of being there for their child. This includes being there when they have homework, a sporting event when they want to talk, and even when they don’t want to talk. Kirby stated, “After taking this position, I wanted to find a way to work with parents and share ways they can be more involved in their children’s lives. As a teacher, I have witnessed firsthand the heartbreak of watching a student in the classroom that had little to no parent support. We are all guilty to some extent. We hope BE THERE will help remind parents that it’s ok sometimes, life happens, but being there the majority of the time is very important and crucial to your child’s success.”
The idea of a Parent Leadership Program was derived from Leadership DeKalb. Leadership DeKalb is composed of individuals throughout Dekalb County and is a year-long program that provides enhanced educational opportunities designed to promote and build leadership within DeKalb County. Mrs. Kirby used the basic goals of Leadership DeKalb and applied those goals to BE THERE. Dekalb County Schools recently partnered with Parenting Partners to create the Dekalb County Parenting Partners Program.
The mission of the Dekalb County Parenting Partners Program is to empower parents to be skilled, confident, positive leaders in their homes, their children’s schools, and their communities. Through a series of 90-minute classes, over a 6 week period, the Parenting Partners workshops will combine parenting and leadership skills so that parents become vital contributors to their child’s success. Upon completion of the program, the parents will participate in a graduation and success dinner donated by local supporters, along with receiving a plaque. The parents will then be encouraged to help facilitate parent workshops in the future. Through this process, Mrs. Kirby hopes to multiply the number of positive parent leaders in our schools and communities.
Parenting Partners is for everyone! While training teacher facilitators, Valley Head teacher, Christi Black stated, “I need this training myself. Even though I know I am an involved parent, I immediately learned ways that I could communicate and discipline more successfully. The workshop is fun and interactive! I can’t wait to start.” Some of the topics covered will include Positive Parenting, Creating Confident Kids, Communication, Structure, Discipline, and What Children Need to Succeed.
“I think too often there is a stigma associated with outside assistance to better ourselves, whether that betterment includes getting counseling for your child or participating in parenting workshops. Everyone could benefit from learning more effective ways to communicate and learn about our children and what is going on in their lives. As my children grow older, I know that I want to explore and benefit from every resource I can in order to better myself for my children. The age-old saying, It takes a village, has never been more true,” said Kirby.
The workshops will begin on October 19th in the communities of Henagar, Valley Head, Moon Lake, Geraldine, Collinsville, Ruhama, and Crossville. Other communities will be added during the spring semester. For more information or to join, please contact Tara Kirby, Dekalb County Schools Systems Parental Engagement Specialist, 256-638-7265, ext. 117
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