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HAZELWOOD WEST EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER students eagerly inform parent educator BETTY DE HART, right, about items in the book she reads to them, Dr. Seuss’ “My Many Colored Days.” De Hart is one of five parent educators nationwide to be nominated for 2007 Parent Educator of the Year.

Dedicated. Passionate. Caring. Professional. These are just some of the accolades that people say about Betty DeHart, Hazelwood’s 2007 National Parent Educator of the Year honoree.

“I am astounded,” DeHart said of the award. “I was completely floored. It could have been anyone in our program. I can’t believe I’m being honored for doing the job I love so much.”

DeHart has worked as a Parents as Teachers (PAT) educator for 16 years and she taught as a substitute for six years prior to that. She has been a district volunteer of the year and involved at all levels of the PTA, she said.

“Betty always goes above and beyond the expectation of a parent educator,” said Mimi Hiner, Hazelwood’s PAT coordinator. “The thing that probably touched me the most were the letters from my families,” she said. “I was sobbing by the time I finished reading those.”

Two mothers described how important Betty is to them.

“Betty has always emphasized the importance of the PAT program and she offers to help with information and resources, regardless of the students’ school district,” said Emily Lasek, whose four children DeHart has assisted, including her twin sons. “Betty became instrumental in helping us to navigate and obtain resources. She made a difficult process easy to understand.”

“She has also come to provide Parents as Teachers information to a parenting class that I teach for St. Louis Community College. This is valuable information for my students, many are young parents without much of a support system. Betty has always emphasized the importance of Parents as Teachers and she has offered to help with information and resources, regardless of the students’ school district”

Teri McCoubrie agrees. She and her son have benefited from the program since 2001.

“From the very first time Betty came into our home to visit with us, I felt as though I had known her for a long time,” she said. “She made me feel completely at ease. She is such a warm and caring person with such happiness and personality that she just draws children and adults to her.

“She has an innate ability to exude professionalism, knowledge and genuine concern for her families.”

DeHart is one of five honorees nationwide that will be recognized at the opening general session of the 2007 Parents as Teachers national conference next April, here in St. Louis.

For more information on the Hazelwood Parents as Teachers program, call (314) 770-2234 or log on to our Web site – www.hazelwoodschools.org.
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