Hamilton County Department of Education announced the hiring of Ms. Janelle Drake for the newly-created Community Engagement Specialist on Tuesday.
Ms. Drake comes to HCDE from Girls Inc. where she most recently served as a program educator and STEM teacher at East Lake Academy of Fine Arts.
As Community Engagement Specialist, she will spearhead the district’s parent and community engagement efforts.
“Ms. Drake is in the perfect position to lead our efforts to show the rest of the state how business and education can work together,” HCDE Superintendent Dr. Bryan Johnson said. “There are amazing companies across Hamilton County, and by teaming up we can change how students access the tools they need to succeed and become productive citizens.”
Ms. Drake’s duties as Community Engagement Specialist will play a pivotal role in ensuring all students are post-secondary ready to pursue a two- or four-year degree, an industry certification, or a future in the military. “One of the things that kept coming up during our Community Listening Tour in August was that many parents and community members want to take an active role in the schools, but they just don’t know how to go about this task. Ms. Drake will help bridge the gap,” said Dr. Johnson.
In addition, HCDE parents have a convenient way to access their students’ information through the PowerSchool web application.
Dr. Johnson encourages more parents to enroll in this easy to use tool. “I hope every parent in Hamilton County takes advantage of the app that allows them to have anytime, anywhere access to their children’s academic progress. What an amazing way to help make sure your student is on track, right at your fingertips.”
According to its website, PowerSchool is the leading education technology platform for K-12, serving more than 32-million students and 66-million parents. PowerSchool aims to engage families through real-time communications across any device.
To download the PowerSchool App, search “PowerSchool” in the App or Google Play store.