FROM HER desk in the office of Liberty School, Margaret Dalton watches as the landscape of education changes. She sees, too, generations of learners passing through on their way to high school and adulthood, where their children and their children’s children often walk the same halls. From large floppy discs and jumbo monitors with disk operating system screens to instant access on her desktop to the state’s educational databases, one thing hasn’t changed in her years at Liberty School — her love of its students. Another thing that hasn’t changed either is the love of the students, administration, and parents for Dalton.
Before the first class bell rings, Dalton and the office staff are busy taking calls. Attendance soon follows and must be reported to the state by 8:30 a.m. and while uploading attendance, the front doorbell rings. Visitors must show their identification, explain their needs, and check in through the office once they’re inside the building. Dalton may pause her other daily reports to register a new student. Then, the teachers’ requisitions that have been approved make it to her desk for order placement.
Ding! Another parent is at her desk for assistance, transferring her child to a different school. The new school requires records from the prior one, and again, Dalton stops what she’s doing to meet another need. It’s an insane hurricane of stops and starts, but Dalton takes it all in stride.
“I love my job; I’ve always loved my job. And that makes it a lot easier to deal with. When you love it, you just keep doing it,” she said.
Her love for the students and her work leaves a lasting impression. Gina Lippman, who moved here with her family from out of state a month before her son started kindergarten at Liberty School, will never forget Dalton’s kindness.
“Mrs. Dalton was so accommodating. As soon as we walked into the office, she was so welcoming and reassuring. I was a complete nervous wreck wondering if Liberty would be a good fit for us, but meeting Mrs. Dalton put me at ease and made me feel like this is where we’re meant to be,” Lippman said.
It’s not just what she accomplishes; it’s everything about her.
Lippman said, “Her presence is truly like a warm hug. Every time we enter Liberty, Mrs. Dalton, without fail, is there greeting us with a smile. She’s so kind, and I am forever grateful. We absolutely love Liberty, and Mrs. Dalton will always be our first reason.”
From the outside looking in, you’d never know how much she’s juggling at any point in time. Dalton must complete attendance reporting quickly and accurately.
Dalton said, “The hardest part is getting all this information correctly to the state. They have to have a full day accounted for — a full 420 minutes in class — and when their schedules’ minutes are off, you have to go and figure out where it’s off and get it fixed.”
And amidst it all, Dalton takes time to support the teachers.
“I know their job is hard, and whatever I can do to help them out, I’m more than happy to do.”
Teacher Christi Howell said, “Mrs. Dalton has been such a huge help to me since I’ve been at Liberty. She’s the heart and soul of Liberty.”
Accomplishing it all means working after the last bell rings.
“They all say that I live here,” said Dalton. “There are times when I’m still there at six o’clock because, in my agenda, I’ve got something I want done on that day. So I’ll just stay and work on it. It’s easier to work when nobody’s here.”
It’s sort of like working from home when you love your job.
She said, “That’s why I stay. Sure, I could have gotten a job somewhere else that paid more, but it’s home. It’s family, because that’s how most of us are out there. Most of my teachers are like my sisters or family. If they need something, I’ll do it.”
After all, she’s paid extra by the students.
“I love the kids. I love the hugs from them, the smiles on their faces when they want to show you some little picture they drew,” Dalton said. “I hang their pictures on my filing cabinet. That just makes your day.”
And her day is made again when they’ve grown from hugs and filing cabinet art and return for their senior walk.
“They go right by the office when they come in from outside and up and down the hallways. The students love it, especially the little ones. They’re waving at them all like it’s a parade,” said Dalton.
Now in her 30th year at the school, she’s proud of the generations of students that pass through Liberty School’s doors under her watch.
“I’ve seen the older ones with their kids. You remember the little stinkers who did little things they shouldn’t be doing, but now they’re grown,” she said. “When they tell me what they’re doing now, I tell them, ‘I’m so proud of you.’ I’m happy they’ve grown up and done well for themselves.”
Like the landscape of education and technology, the world changes continuously, and Dalton’s job changes with it. But one thing will forever be the same — her love for the students and her Liberty School family. It’s as solid as their love for her. GN
