Summerour Principal Named National Counseling Advocate of the Year

Principal Dorothy Parker-Jarrett will be recognized this month as the 2012 American School Counseling Association Advocate of the Year.

Parker-Jarrett, who's been principal of Summerour for three years, has had unconditional support of the counseling field, according to a press release. She was presented with the 2011 Gwinnett County Mary Joe Hannaford Counseling Advocate of the Year award in February last year, where she gave a speech to the district's school counselors and Gwinnett's leadership team.

"Ms. Jarrett’s enthusiasm and appreciation for the work of her counseling team is evident in her words but also rings true through her actions," said J. Alvin Wilbanks, Gwinnett County Public Schools’ CEO and Superintendent. "She believes in the power of effective counseling to improve the lives of students and supports her team with resources, encouragement, and her personal time."

Her Summerour Middle counseling team nominated her for the districtwide honor, and then Parket-Jarrett later earned the Region II award. She then was recognized by the state, and now she has the national honor. She will be accepting the award at the ASCA Annual Conference in Minneapolis on Monday, June 25.

“I am so humbled by this awesome award," said Parker-Jarrett when she first heard that she'd be receiving the national recognition. "I have and will always appreciate what school counselors do to support teaching and learning in our schools. … I never imagined I would be receiving this letter! I accept and I look forward to representing all the advocates who value counselors around the United States.”

Parker-Jarrett is a veteran educator who joined Gwinnett County Public Schools in 2002 as a teacher at South Gwinnett High after serving schools in DeKalb County and Illinois. She also served South Gwinnett High as an assistant principal from 2004 to 2009 before being named principal of Summerour Middle in 2009.