Julie
Hardeman, parent mentor for Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools’ Department
of Specialized Instruction, has been named the recipient of the 2019 Phil Pickens Award by
the Georgia Parent Mentor Partnership. The
Phil Pickens Award is named after the late Phil Pickens who served as state
director of the Georgia Department of Education Special Services Dept. and
founded the Georgia Parent Mentor Partnership. Every year the Partnership
selects an outstanding administrator and parent mentor for this prestigious
award.
The
Phil Pickens Award is meant to recognize those members of the GaPMP who reflect
his vision… for parents, or parent mentors as they are now
known, to be considered more than volunteers… they would be trained
professionals working in their local school districts. Admirers said Hardeman reflects this
vision because, “she works to provide information to families in a variety of
ways, through transition workshops, Parent University events, school family
nights, and local advocacy and support groups.
Focusing
on youth and mental health, Ms. Hardeman brought Youth Mental Health First Aid
training to both Chatham County Schools and families and assisted in developing
plans to support families in crisis. And, partnering with her regional
community collaborative, organized a mental health symposium which attracted
over 250 attendees. Her work has expanded beyond Chatham County as a member of
the Georgia Department of Education State Advisory Panel, and as an advisor to
the Georgia Department of Public Health to develop evacuation plans for persons
with disabilities for a seven-county region.”
The
Georgia Parent Mentor Partnership is an alliance of parents and professionals
working together to improve outcomes for students with disabilities by
enhancing communication and collaboration between families, educators and the
community. The mission of the
Georgia Parent Mentor Partnership is to build effective family, school, and
community partnerships that lead to greater achievement for students,
especially those with disabilities. Parent
mentors are parents who support other parents by providing information and
resources to help their children succeed in school and transition from school
to adult life. The mentors work to increase parent participation in IEP
meetings, provide information related to improving reading and math, and help
parents locate needed services and supports.
Mentors also work with teachers, staff, and administrators to integrate
family engagement into school and district activities and to build a culture in
which family engagement is expected and valued.
