People Person: Morrow makes new families at home at Cleveland Elem.

Anita Morrow, Student Information Specialist at Cleveland Elementary, sets students and their families up for success. 

As a Student Information Specialist she deals with student data on a daily basis. She is in charge of scheduling, and she also keeps a close watch on attendance, lunch counts, and roster verification. She is able to help teachers get to know their class better, down to things like extra programs or birthdays for their students. 

“For me, it’s like seeing the whole person,” said Morrow. 

Years spent working in retail and managing offices taught her she had a skill for a customer service. 

“I’m a people person.” 

A mother of 5, she stayed out of the workforce for many years, but a new path found her. She spent so much time volunteering at the school that the principal asked her about taking a job. 

“Being a mom and being at the school a lot, I think I kind of volunteered myself into working.” 

Morrow was a paraprofessional in kindergarten, then 1st grade at Crabapple Lane Elementary. She then worked with the behavioral intervention program, an opportunity she found very rewarding. 

“That was a very different experience for me. It allowed me to build relationships that I loved that I still have with my little friends today.” 

She eventually wanted a change of pace and moved to Cleveland Elementary as an assistant site coordinator with the After School Program. She wasn’t in that role long before she was recruited for the front office. 

She misses the close one-on-one interaction with students in her current role, but she makes sure to greet them every morning or when they pop into the office. 

Everyday she loves coming to work where it feels like a family. 

“Being able to interact with my coworkers and our parents on a daily basis is what’s exciting,” she said. 

Those good vibes spread to the students. 

“It’s fun but at the same time they know they’re going to learn a lot. The teachers make learning exciting in our building.” 

As the first point of contact for new Cleveland families, the weeks leading up to a new school year are her busiest. She makes sure all enrollment documents are in and that each new student has a complete file including records requests from previous schools. 

She calls it the best of the part of the job when she finally gets to meet a family in person. Her first contact with them is usually via email or the phone after she receives an enrollment letter. She looks forward to when she gets to put a face to the voice she’s been talking to and show them their new home. 

“When they finally walk through that door, that is a delight for me to say ‘Welcome to Cleveland.’”

It can be a stressful time for a parent of a new student, but Morrow takes pride in being able to reassure them, both as an employee and as a mother who put 5 kids through the school system. 

“My why is being able to put that smile on the face of a parent, especially a kindergarten or pre-k parent, that has so many doubts about what school is and what it looks like,” she said. “Without a doubt, your baby is in an amazing place. Your baby is going to be fine, and your baby is going to be loved in this building.” 

“The Honor Role,” an official podcast for Fayette County Public Schools, features employees, rotating through key stakeholders, including teachers, staff, nurses, custodians, cafeteria workers, and bus drivers. Join us as we dive in and learn about their journeys, their inspirations, and their whys.

Episodes are available on all major podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and promoted on the social media channels of Fayette County Public Schools.

Episodes will also be available here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2200811.