s
spotlight
Parent OF THE YEAR
McCusker Promotes Cohesion in Parent Group Amanda Gronewold
L
isa McCusker, the outgoing
band: A new band direc-
president of the Gautier High
tor was hired, and a new
School (GHS) Band Parent
parent leadership team
Association (BPA) and a mother of two
was formed. Building trust
children in the Pascagoula-Gautier
between band parents/
School District, is the 2020 Mississippi
guardians, directors and
Parent of the Year.
the school, she said, was
McCusker was nominated by the school district for her work on sev-
among the first large-scale challenges the group faced.
eral projects that will make long-last-
The first step to meeting
ing impacts. Specifically, her work
those challenges, she said,
with the GHS BPA was noted, as she
was listening.
helped establish the inaugural Swamp Classic, the first marching band competition hosted in the Gautier area.
“It took a lot of humility to listen to parents’ issues from before and why they
Dr. Carey Wright, Mississippi’s state
weren’t interested in help-
superintendent of education, praised
ing,” McCusker said. “So, it
McCusker for her hard work and said
was a lot of listening in the
she “represents the hundreds of par-
beginning, and then it was
ents who volunteer in schools across
just small steps of faith.”
the state, supporting teachers, lead-
Lisa McCusker (center) poses with sons Michael McCusker (left) and Aidan McCusker. Michael is a graduate of Gautier High School (GHS) and the GHS band, and Aidan is a junior at the school.
Those steps included
ers and students as they work toward
demonstrating follow-through and
nights, shifting from a few adults
success.”
dependability with her fellow par-
doing the work of many to a larger
ents and shifting their perspectives of
group that more evenly distributed
what volunteering for the band means
the load.
“I am grateful for their dedication and hard work in making Mississippi’s schools the best they can be,” Wright
— actions beyond the obvious roles of helping with uniforms or working
The changes were “key in helping
the concession stand during football
them to understand that those 10 vol-
McCusker joined the parent group
games. She also enacted addition-
unteers you see serving the nachos;
during a time of transition for the
al-yet-shorter work shifts for game
they’re counted in and among another
said.
School Focus
26
Winter 2021
