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In Georgia, parent mentors typically work 20 hours a week during the school year at a competitive salary, which can vary according to the school system’s salary scales and local economic conditions.

The budget for a parent mentor should include the mentor’s salary, travel, office supplies and an appropriate work space. Some systems offer benefits as well.

Georgia local school systems may apply for additional state IDEA funding to support the parent mentor position. The local school system is expected to match the state allocation with funding and in-kind support.

Special education directors must follow local school system hiring procedures to create a new position, including approval of the Superintendent.

Local systems develop a job description so the position can be advertised. One qualification is an absolute: the parent mentor must be the parent of a child with a physical and/or cognitive challenge.

After the Parent Mentor is Hired

Provide an organized orientation for the new parent mentor. Arrange for the parent mentor to shadow administrators and learn how the school system operates.

- Each parent mentor program must be individualized to meet local needs. Overall, the parent mentor focuses on family engagement strategies to help achieve targeted student performance goals. This includes conducting and organizing trainings, leading focus groups, advising educators on the needs of families and responding to individual family phone calls and email requests.

- Some school systems encourage families to invite the parent mentor to accompany them to IEPmeetings as a support while others want the parent mentor to meet with families outside the meeting.

- Many parent mentors design a newsletter or other forms of online communication.

- Parent mentors may partner with translators to meet the needs of families who speak English as a second language and collaborate on family engagement initiatives with Title I partners.

Local systems provide professional development opportunities for the parent mentor. In addition, first and second year mentors receive coaching from veteran mentors. The Georgia Department of Education’s Family Engagement Specialist and a contracted Parent Outreach coach, both of whom are parents of young adults with disabilities, provide ongoing assistance to school systems.

Job Description

• Talking/meeting with parents one on one re: parent concerns and/or needs.
• Researching info needed by a parent.
• Preparing power points for presentations.
• Preparing and updating packets of information for parents:
- New Parent Packet
- Navigating Transition Packet
- Surrogate Parent Training Packet
- Navigating the IEP Packet
• Preparing and updating other types of info for parents/groups:
Examples:
- Transition to Middle School checklist
- List of Helpful Websites
- List of Helpful Books
• Presenting workshops to parents and other groups
• Serving on committees
• Coordinating with Parent Resource Centers and providing them with Special Ed. information and with trainings for parents
• Sending info out to parents via our voluntary parent email list
• Looking for new resources.
• Coordinating with other agencies/groups such as GLRS, AADD, FOCUS, Lekotek, Parent to Parent, Refugee Family Services, etc
• Attending required trainings for Parent Mentors in Georgia
• Participating in other forums
Examples:
- Transition Fair for high school students
- Future Focus Fair
• Presenting trainings to teachers:  
Example:
- Student led IEPs

Applicaton