DCSS' Kilgore Receives Distinguished Honor
Posted on 08/11/2023
One of Douglas County School System’s superstars has been recognized for her dedication to serving bilingual families and educators across the district. Over the past eight years, Lizzy Kilgore has served as the District Bilingual Liaison for DCSS.
Because of Kilgore’s passion and commitment to creating cultural bridges among multicultural families, the National Association of Educational Translators and Interpreters of Spoken Language Access (NAETISL) recently named her the Language Access Champion. This special honor acknowledges individuals who have worked diligently to ensure bilingual families and educators can effectively communicate.
The extraordinary recognition is no surprise to Kilgore’s supervisor, Dr. Karen Stoutmire, Executive Director of Federal Programs. “It was extremely obvious a few years ago that Lizzy Kilgore was undeniably the best fit when we created the position and interviewed her for our very first District Bilingual Parent Liaison. We knew that her zeal and passion for families who spoke languages other than English would be a game changer for Douglas County Schools,” expressed Stoutmire. Stoutmire went on to explain Kilgore’s advocacy for bilingual families to “remove barriers and ensure proper communication across the district” demonstrates her true passion to serve in this area.
Kilgore’s career with DCSS began as a paraprofessional at Mason Creek and Bright Star Elementary Schools. Additionally, she offered unwavering support to students as a tutoring assistant. Her contributions to the Douglas County School System have assisted in the growth of over 47 languages, including approximately 3,857 families.
In addition to Kilgore’s support, additional resources for non-English speaking families are available. Resources are available on the DCSS district website. Individuals interested may attend meetings pertaining to topics such as attendance, life after high school and summer learning.