A ‘servant’s heart’ for helping students

After making a career of helping others, White County School System’s Dr. MaryKay Berry has been honored as the Lillie Moncus Special Education Director of the Year.

The award is given by the Georgia Council of Administrators of Special Education and is the highest award given by the council, according to the G-CASE website. The award recipient must have seven years of experience as a special education director, as well as a record of outstanding service in that role.

Berry, the school system’s student services director, said she was humbled to receive this award.

“I would say for myself what this award specifically means is, as a young director looking at the individuals who have received this award and what they have accomplished in their career, it’s amazing,” Berry said. “Bigger systems, just the things they say as they read and recognize the individuals who have earned this award. It holds high esteem in G-CASE. It’s the highest ward that they give.”

The award was given during the spring conference, which Berry attended virtually. She added that they read from letters of that were written on her behalf, which is when she started to suspect something else was coming.

“The last part of the letter [that was] read was from a friend of mine who is also a special education director, and she said we’ve literally climbed mountains together, and I knew, because we hiked Mount Le Conte for my 50th birthday,” Berry said. “This job can be like climbing mountains. There are a lot of challenges, there’s a lot of times you feel very weary, but the reward is unbelievable.”

One of the letters was from a White County High School senior who wants to go into special education and has worked as a student worker for student services.

“She talks about the influence I’ve had on her life over the past few years. It was very special,” Berry said.

There were also letters from her staff members, Dr. Burkett, special education directors and more. In a letter from Jane Grillo, parent mentor with the student services department, said that Berry has improved the department in many ways.

“She started with our PreK evaluations, with the idea that if we can serve families well when they first come into the school system then the children will benefit,” Grillo wrote. “… She added a Crisis Interventionist and is guiding our school social worker in her efforts to create a community based Warrior Wellness Center. She worked with me to gauge family satisfaction and spread the word that Student Services is a family centric department.”

Grillo also said that Berry writes handwritten notes to staff members when they do some exceptional, encourages them when they’re struggling or just because she wants to connect with them.

“I am so proud of MaryKay,” said White County School System Superintendent Dr. Laurie Burkett.  “Dr. Berry has a servant’s heart and she works diligently and tirelessly for her students, parents, teachers, staff and community. Working with special needs students and families is a gift and Dr. Berry’s true calling in life, and there is no one who is more humble and deserving of this award.”

Berry said she’s always wanted to be in education and be a teacher. She remembers struggling to learn and working with other students, and remembers how a teacher would put visual reminders about how to write certain letters on a desk for a student.

“I started teaching in 1998, but it was about four years before I went into special education,” Berry said. “However, I always worked with struggling students. I worked in Headstart pre-k with struggling learners. Then I went to an alternative school and worked with kids who struggled with behavior. While I might not have been the special education person, I worked with struggling learners.

“I love to research a different way to do, a different way to help assist, and then I moved into administration. 2001 was when I got my master’s [degree] in special education and I was entrenched in special education from 2001.”

Berry previously taught special education and worked as an assistant special education director in Habersham County. She came to the White County School System seven years ago as the director of student services. In this position, Berry responsibilities include working with students, families and teachers on how to best meet the needs of students with disabilities or students who are struggling to learn.