P2P and PMP

Meet Paula Porter from Hall County

Listen in to the Jan. 20 2022 presentation Building Capacity Today for a Better Tomorrow presentation with Paula and Mitzi Proffit and Cindy Saylor from P2P

As a parent to a child with a disability, I believe knowledge is power.  As a parent mentor, it remains the same…knowledge is power, however, it has the potential to become exponential in the number of families that can be helped to create better outcomes.

I am working with Parent to Parent of Georgia monthly with training sessions for our families in Hall County.  Our first training was an overview of special education for parents and families.  I remember what it was like when we started this journey as a family and I want families to know that special education is not this mythical monster to be afraid of.  We followed with a training on parental rights.  Again, presenting information to families so they could gain knowledge to equip themselves for the journey as they navigate the school system.

We finished 2021 with an upbeat topic of Dream Big, Aim Higher.  I wanted parents to be equipped with skills and strategies that will empower them and serve them as their journey continues on.  I wanted to encourage parents to embrace their child for who they are and buckle up because it can be an enjoyable ride…not necessarily a perfect ride, but one to enjoy nonetheless.

Looking ahead into 2022, the focus of the training partnership with P2PGA will be Georgia Medicaid Basics/Home and Community-Based Services, as well as Waivers.  These are topics that help families navigate life.  We are also going to look at Assistive Technology and finish the school year with “The Big IDEA!  What’s the Big IDEA Behind Inclusion.”

I am collaborating with Kathryn Marous, Corwin Lambeth, and Amy Miller of P2PGA.  They are professional, yet relatable, and it has been an enjoyable experience working with them.  They are more knowledgeable than I am in some areas, so it has been nice to learn from them while sharing information with families.

I am very grateful to have the opportunity to work with these ladies to help equip parents with knowledge, but also to have P2PGA available as an amazing resource for families.

Welcoming, Supporting Student Success, Collaboration

A Quick Q&A with Paula

Q: What do you bring to the table to make the collaboration with P2Pga more successful in Hall County?

A: During the trainings I talk about my personal experience as a parent and relate it to a particular portion of the presentation to give parents an example of how they may be able to apply it to their journey with their kids. We have also had a translator available for the November and December trainings so that we could engage those families who mostly speak Spanish. 

Q: How are you sharing the information about the trainings with families?

A: I share the information about trainings by sending out emails with the flyer to every SPED LEAD teacher in Hall County and they send it to teachers under them.  I also have the flyer posted to our website.  I also email flyers directly to  parents that I know are interested in particular trainings.  If I am going in to a meeting with teachers, I bring them copies of the flyer to send home with their students.  I have also agreed for P2PGA to post it on their calendar as an open training.

Q: Why did you decide to do the P2P trainings?

A: I decided to do P2P trainings this year because they are a tremendous resource for parents with solid information while I am still learning how to be a parent mentor.