“What? Are you sure? I did not know!” Lora Evans exclaimed. “Oh, I am excited. Oh, my goodness!”
Evans, president of the Greenwood Middle School Parent-Teacher Organization and a national board member of Parents for Public Schools, just had learned she is Mississippi’s Parent of the Year for 2016.
She is a founding member of Parents for Public Schools of Greenwood & Leflore County, the Greenwood-Leflore County Chamber of Commerce’s education committee and the chamber’s Young Emerging Leaders of Leflore (YELL). She is a former school board member and the mother of two eighth-graders at the middle school, Lauryen Aaliyah Evans and Lorance Ah-mad Evans, both 14.
She was described in a statement from the state Department of Education as “innovative, solution-oriented and eager to ensure that parents play their role in the school reaching its vision.”
The department annually selects the state’s parent of the year by seeking nominations from school districts.
A committee of educators reviews these and chooses a finalist from each of the state’s four congressional districts. The other finalists live in Tupelo, Madison County and Wayne County.
Evans is not the only one who is thrilled.
“This is awesome. This is off the charts. This is most deserving,” said Lula Moore, a retired teacher who is president of the Parents for Public Schools chapter.
At the Greenwood Public Schools central office, people are smiling.
“We are elated but not surprised,” said Charles Brooks, interim superintendent. “She has been actively involved in education in our school district, both as a parent and an advocate for all students. Mrs. Evans is well aware of how important it is for parents to be actively in their children’s education.
“The district is extremely proud of her, and so should be the entire community.”
Dr. Catherine Cushinberry, national executive director of Parents for Public Schools, called Evans “a visionary” and said “Lora knows that parents learn from one another and have the power to make a positive and meaningful difference in their communities.”
Evans said, “Even before I was a parent, I was very interested in how the public school system works and how we could actually be a part of the public schools and have a good experience.”
Her goals include opening doors between educators and parents, and participating in organizations such as Parents for Public Schools and PTOs assists in making these connections. “I think it helps parents to be more aware of what they should be looking for in their school and its teachers and on the state level.”
As a parent, she has learned that it is important to see that each child is unique. “They require different things. They learn differently, and they have different needs,” she said.
Moore, who was Leflore County’s first national board certified teacher, said Evans insisted that she become involved with the Parents for Public Schools chapter, which was chartered in 2012. “I tried avoid going to the initial meeting,” Moore said, “and she would not leave me alone, and here I am, president. She has such a beautiful spirit about her.”
The chapter meets from 6-7 p.m. each second Tuesday in the conference room at Greenwood Leflore Hospital, where Evans is employed as an administrator. She serves as the hospital’s managed care director and is the executive director for the Delta Hills Health Corp. Her husband, Larry, is a regional social services director for the state health department and an associate minister for Locust Grove Missionary Baptist Church.
“Lora has been a tremendous asset to the chamber over the years,” said Beth Stevens, the chamber’s executive director.
“She’s been a wonderful advocate for education and has helped the chamber with its many programs that focus on education. She has been an invaluable resource to us and a great role model for parents in our community. We appreciate her efforts and can’t say enough good things.”
Evans will be recognized at a state Board of Education meeting in June and sometimes be asked to participate in or lend her voice to education department initiatives.
• Contact Susan Montgomery at 581-7235 or smontgomery@gwcommonwealth.com.
