Savannah childcare provider earns finalist spot for state educator award

As the owner/director of Smart Starters Academy in Savannah, Chantelle Hester, appreciates that “somebody recognizes we're not babysitters. We are educators.”

Hester was referring to Georgia’s Early Childhood Educators of the Year awards, which are bestowed by the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) and the Georgia Foundation for Early Care + Learning. According to a press release from DECAL, the awards are in their third year of recognizing “outstanding early education teachers of children ages birth to preschool with an Infant Teacher of the Year (0-18 months), Toddler Teacher of the Year (15-36 months), and Preschool Teacher of the Year (36- 48 months)." Hester is one of two finalists in the Preschool Category alongside Riquella Preston from Bright Start Preschool in Valdosta.

DECAL Commissioner Amy M. Jacobs said, “These early childhood educators are laying a solid foundation for children’s academic, physical and social development. We are so proud to celebrate and recognize these educators.”

Executive Director for the Georgia Foundation for Early Care + Learning, Laura Wagner added, “High quality Early Childhood Educators play a significant role in supporting [students] on a successful path to lifelong learning.”

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We go to school, not daycare

Hester said she remembers adults asking her, when she was young, what she wanted to do when she grew up. “I would say, I wanted to have my own daycare.” She was the oldest child in her family and had always found herself taking care of younger children.

Hester eventually earned a Technical Certificate of Credit (TCC), which is defined by DECAL as “a standalone credential that provides knowledge and skills for entry-level early care and education professionals.” She had also previously obtained a Bachelor’s degree from Florida Memorial College and a Masters of Public Administration from Troy University.

She had initially aimed to teach pre-school aged children through the public school system. When that plan did not pan out, she endeavored to start her own childcare education service. While she was studying to obtain her certifications, she trained and worked as a lead teacher of a two-year-olds class at St. Paul’s Lutheran Preschool in Savannah for nearly two years. While there she learned “the ins and outs of the back office to the classroom and how to deal with parents learning.” She set out on her own in 2014.

Smart Starters is a Family Child Care Learning Home (FCCLH) which prepares students for the routines and rigor of the classroom they will be entering come kindergarten. She emphasized that her little ones don't say, “Mommy, are we going to daycare? They say, ‘Are we going to school?'”

For the last nine years, Hester has been covering reading, basic addition and writing with her students. “We start with tracing and, once they've mastered the tracing, the practice they get is writing the CVC [consonant-vowel-consonant] words or sight words for the week.”

She also makes sure to include science lessons. She said that a particular favorite among students is the pumpkin lesson in the fall. “We'll get a pumpkin and we'll examine it. We'll read stories about pumpkins and actually cut into the pumpkin to see what's inside.” Many of her lesson plans are sourced from DECAL’s resources, though she adds her own take.

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Winners to be announced by end of December

The finalists were announced on Dec. 6. Each finalist in each category will receive $500 from the Georgia Foundation for Early Care + Learning.

Finalists were selected according to DECAL guidelines for Georgia’s Early Childhood Educators of the Year. The guidelines state that candidates “must have been employed as a lead teacher in the age group for which they were nominated at a licensed 2- or 3-star Quality Rated child care provider that is in good standing with all programs administered by DECAL.” Educators were required to also have a minimum of three years of experience as a lead teacher. They must also plan to continue as a lead teacher in the 2023-24 school year.

A DECAL representative explained the selection process. The rep stated that "educators are blind scored by individuals chosen to review and score the applications." The top scored applications are then reviewed by a panel of three experts to determine the finalists. After finalists are selected, the expert panel reviews the application documents, educator interview, classroom assessment scoring system (CLASS) scores and video observations. Winners be announced toward the end of December.

Each winner will receive $3,000 for their personal use, $2,000 for a classroom makeover, and up to $2,500 for their school to cover travel costs and stipends for substitute teachers as the teacher fulfills their duties as Georgia’s Early Childhood Educators of the Year. According to the DECAL press release, “Winners serve as ambassadors for Georgia’s Early Childhood Educators of the Year program through activities related to modeling effective classroom practices and public speaking appearances.”

When asked what she might use the $2,000 for a classroom makeover toward, Hester said, “I actually have another room that I can set up for early infant, where I can bring in someone to help me or it can be a room that'll be literally set up like a classroom for our Pre-Kers.”

While she is grateful for to be considered for the reward, her greatest reward is seeing the children she has taught go on to be successful.  “It’s just awesome to see the growth. I have some [students] who leave at or above the standard grade level for the state.” She said that parents update her all the time on past students with some entering the gifted programs at their schools or rising to the head of their class. “That is my whole thing: To make sure my babies are ready for the classroom socially, emotionally and academically.”

Joseph Schwartzburt is the education and workforce development reporter for the Savannah Morning News. You can reach him at JSchwartzburt@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Savannah childcare provider is finalist for state educator award