NHSA Blog

Long-term Benefits of Head Start

Published on January 12, 2012 in Uncategorized. 1 Comment

Something I hear often from opponents of Head Start or even just people who aren’t familiar with Head Start or Early Head Start is that the programs don’t work. If you haven’t met Head Start alumni, it’s easy to take someone else’s word for it, but as part of this community I’ve always found comments about Head Start having no effect frustrating, because I see amazing results everywhere I go.

One of our alumni whose story is impressive–but not unique–is Chuck Mills. A business owner and former pilot of Marine One (the President’s helicopter), he spoke before Congress last year about how he and his five brothers and sisters were raised by a single mother in a poor and violent community. He and one of his sisters attended Head Start and as adults became very successful professionally. Their siblings who were not able to attend Head Start led lives of struggle and addiction. At the end of his moving testimony, Chuck told the committee, “I attribute much of who I am to the Head Start program and my life mission to be the father to my children that I never had in part is a result of the life‐lessons I learned while in Head Start.”

When I hear people say Head Start doesn’t work, I think of Chuck Mills and I wonder what it will take to explain that while one study among many others shows that test score gains decrease over time for Head Start students, that doesn’t mean the program has not had lasting benefits. With that on my mind, I was fascinated to read about a study in the New York Times last week and made a surprising parallel to Head Start. The study was conducted by Raj Chetty and John N. Friedman of Harvard and Jonah E. Rockoff of Columbia, who investigated how good teachers affect their students in the long-term.

Chetty, Friedman and Rockoff examined the students of excellent, average, and poor teachers and looked at whether they went to college, how old they were when they had children, and where they ended up living as adults. Their research found that while test score gains did fade a few years after students left an excellent teacher’s classroom, they did better in life than those with average or poor teachers. Those who had excellent teachers were less likely to be teen parents and more likely to go to college and earn higher salaries.

The benefits of this study of teachers reflect the same kinds of outcomes we see in Chuck Mill’s story. Other Head Start research has shown that fade out of test scores gains happen more slowly that documented by the Impact Study(1) and, like the New York Times piece suggests, the most dramatic benefits of early childhood interventions reveal themselves later in life.

One 2009 article by David Deming of the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard has some very powerful data about the long-term outcomes of Head Start participation.(2) Comparing Head Start children to their siblings who did not attend the program or any preschool, Deming looked at how both groups did as adults. While he did find test score fade-out over time, in the long-term Deming showed Head Start participation closed the bottom to median income gap by a third and the racial achievement gap by three quarters. Those who had attended Head Start were more likely to graduate high school, attend some college, and lead healthy lifestyles.

The research on the effect of good teachers and that of Head Start converge on one idea: regardless of test scores, good teaching in a nurturing environment changes children’s lifetime trajectories. Chuck Mills is a testament to this idea, and he is not alone. In the face of this truth, it is more important than ever that we offer quality learning experiences to all children, both in their early years of development and through their school careers.

~Yasmina Vinci, NHSA Executive Director

(1) Greenberg, M. & Domitrovich, C. (2011). The Harrisburg Preschool Program Evaluation: Final Report. University Park, PA: Pennsylvania State University, Prevention Research Center.

(2) Deming, David (2009). Early Childhood Intervention and Life-Cycle Skill Development: Evidence from Head Start. American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 1(3), 111–134.

Opportunities for Early Intervention

Published on November 29, 2011 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

In October, 2011 the National Head Start Association premiered the “One Window of Opportunity” animation, sparking a discussion about how Head Start itself is a window of opportunity for children and families–and how critical it is to keep that window open in a time of growing poverty and need. As part of the Keep the Window Open campaign, Head Start parents, alumni, staff, volunteers and citizens have been invited to share their stories. We’re delighted to bring those stories to you — you’ll find more here regularly, and we hope you’ll choose to share your own.
(Please note: except for minor typographical editing, stories appear as titled and written by their authors.)

Head Start programs across the country provide disability screening and support services to families. Here are two stories of how children with language delays got the help they needed to enter kindergarten ready to learn.

Parent Story: Higher Horizons
by Angell Williams

Parent Story: Terry Family Success Story
by April Terry

My oldest daughter went through the Head Start program 6 years ago. Being my first child, I wasn’t really sure how the program worked, other than my daughter got on the bus 4 days a week, went to school for a few hours and came home.

We would attend the family nights, the parent meetings, and some parenting classes, but other than that I wasn’t aware of the other many ways I could be involved. We moved away halfway through the year, out of state, and were unable to find preschool for my daughter. Our financial situation had changed drastically, and we were over-qualified for other Head Start programs, but we still didn’t have the money to afford to pay for private pay preschool. So she stayed home where I worked with her. Luckily, my oldest daughter doesn’t have a problem with learning, is very naturally smart, and things come easy to her. So when she started kindergarten, she was pretty much ready.

There is a very different story for my 2nd daughter Lauryn. When Lauryn reached about a year old, she still wasn’t talking much. She was not saying many words, but she talked a great deal. NO ONE could understand her but me. Half the time her own dad couldn’t understand her. We spent many hours trying to decipher and translate what she was saying to family members. She mumbled a lot, and her words were garbled. My oldest daughter was speaking in full sentences by the time she was 1, so this was a big difference for me. I know people always tell you not to compare your children, but this was very hard to do. It was such a drastic difference that I started to wonder if something was wrong.

I took Lauryn to the doctor, and during her well child exams I always brought up to her provider that I was concerned about her speech. Many times my oldest daughter was with me, and when the provider would ask Lauryn a question, Ashley (the oldest) would always answer for her. The provider kept chalking it up to the oldest talking for her, and assured me it was just a normal part of sibling interaction. Because Ashley spoke for her, the provider just assured me this is why Lauryn wasn’t talking.

Two years went by, and this was ALWAYS a concern for me. I always brought it up, and was always given the same answer. It was because her sister spoke for her. Around this time, I enrolled Lauryn in the ECEAP program at our local school, which is our state’s version of Head Start. She had turned 3 and was eligible. She went through the preschool screening, and during part of that, was interviewed by the Speech Therapist. The therapist noticed a delay in her, and noticed that she had a hard time pronouncing certain syllables. This was put in her file, and Lauryn started school in the fall of 2007.

This video was taken of Lauryn around the time she started preschool for the first time at age 3. She is singing a song, and out of all the words, I can only identify a few.

Her teachers paid attention to the mumbling and the inattention she had. Because I had other people observing her besides family, they were noticing a delay in speech as well. Her sister wasn’t around during preschool time, so it was much easier to see there was a problem. Lauryn talked A LOT but nobody could understand her. I could, but it was because I was at home with her, and learned her language. The teachers brought their concerns to my attention, and I told them I had thought something wasn’t right for a long time. The ECEAP program provided a meeting with a Speech Therapist and we proceeded with an evaluation and an IEP. Lauryn was referred to a hearing specialist as a precautionary step. My doctor had NEVER ordered a referral or an evaluation. I was laughed at when I brought my concerns to them. Through the referral from the ECEAP speech therapist, we discovered at a hearing test that Lauryn was 75% deaf in one ear, and 25% in the other!! My daughter was almost 4 years old by the time this was discovered!

The specialist explained that the reason Lauryn wasn’t speaking correctly was because she had a massive amount of fluid on her ears and suffered from Eustachian Tube Dysfunction, a genetic problem that causes the tubes to not grow properly and drain fluid from the ears. She was not speaking correctly because to her, everyone sounded like they were underwater. She was just relaying it back the way she heard it. Mumbled. The doctors assured me it was an easy fix. Lauryn underwent surgery, and had tubes placed in her ears. She returned back to school, I informed the ECEAP staff what we had discovered, and they re-evaluated Lauryn’s IEP to include Speech Therapy, for at least 20 mins a week, if not more. She continued with her Speech Therapy, and we saw great strides in her speech, and her education.

During the summer of 2009, I walked in to our local Head Start to apply for a slot. This was the same Head Start my oldest daughter attended, so I was familiar with the staff. Many of the same teachers and faces, I had dealt with 3 years prior. I inquired about the waiting list, because of missing the registration deadlines I knew there had to be one. I was told that I could put Lauryn on the waiting list, but through a conversation, I learned that were completely full except for one spot they were holding for a student with a disability, or IEP. When I let the staff know that my child already had an IEP in place, she was placed in the last spot for that classroom. This was about 2 weeks before classes were to start. It was a complete godsend, and a perfect example of being in the right place at the right time that she was blessed with this slot in the Elma Head Start program. I was so excited for her to attend! Lauryn continued with her Speech Therapy for the duration of that school year, and the combination of that therapy, and getting her hearing finally under control, today, you could probably not even tell that she once had a Speech Delay. She can write her name, knows all of her ABC’s and 123’s, and is now a 2nd grader who reads and writes at the top of her class.

Lauryn’s IEP was re-evaluated and with assistance from our home school Speech Therapist when she started Kindergarten, and it was determined that an IEP was no longer a necessity for her, and that she was right on target for her benchmarks. If it were not for the help I received in diagnosing my daughter with a disability, I fear she would have started school unable to hear, afraid of learning, with people not being able to understand her. It would have probably taken another 3 years longer than it did, and that was already 3 years too long.

Instead of starting Kindergarten with a disability or a delay, we were able to fix the problem before she became another statistic. We were able to save her school district the financial capacity it would have taken from their Special Ed department, after she started school that fall.

Lauryn is now a completely well adjusted, smart, TALKATIVE, little girl, who started kindergarten in the fall of 2010 with no barriers to her education. She can hear and now she can speak. Lauryn got the HEAD START she needed so badly. I can’t imagine if she wouldn’t have had this opportunity, where she would be at in her education right now.

This was Lauryn singing a song at age 5, about 6 months through her speech therapy.

I have learned that with the right tools in hand, I could be the voice for my daughter. I had known all along that something wasn’t right with her. The staff at all of the centers Lauryn attended listened to me, and helped me figure out how to take action. With the tools I received from being a parent in the Head Start program, I learned to not doubt myself and my instincts.

The education and information I have received as a parent in this program have increased my knowledge tenfold, of simple everyday life things. I have learned how to be a better mother, a more knowledgeable adult, and most importantly an involved parent in my children’s lives.

This is just one of my success stories from the Washington State Head Start and ECEAP programs.

NHSA would love to hear your story! Find out more about creating a video or writing a testimonial at www.KeeptheWindowOpen.org. You can also find get updates about the project by following us on twitter at @HeadStartWindow.

Opportunities for Children with Special Needs

Published on November 16, 2011 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

Head Start programs across the country provide disability screening and support services to families. Here are two stories of how Head Start helped children with special needs build a strong foundation for learning.

Parent Story: Peyton’s Journey
by Kimberly Bingham
When my son went for his 3 year old check up in August of 2010, his doctor was concerned about his speech. He suggested that we take Peyton to see the speech pathologist at the school and that she would be able to evaluate him for free. The next week I scheduled a appointment for the speech pathologist to test him. After about an hour she explained that Peyton was behind in some of the areas of speech. Mainly that his expressive and receptive speech was tested at a 18 month old level. I was a little shocked and overwhelmed with the thought of something wrong with my child.

The speech pathologist recommended putting him in Head Start to allow her frequent access to him and also so he would be able to follow the other children and learn to from the older kids. Peyton was enrolled the next week and began seeing the speech therapist regularly. Through the school year he improved a lot. His speech therapist gave us ideas at home to help him and she worked with him at school. By the end of the year Peyton’s speech had improved tremendously; even though he was behind still in comparison with other children he is able to do things he couldn’t do before. As his mom I learned why he did things differently than other kids and it helped me parent him better.

This year Peyton is in Head Start again and receiving speech again. He has improved so much they think he may be able to test out of it at the end of the year. The big deal for me as a parent is that if it were not for Head Start giving Peyton the opportunity to receive speech he might not have ever gotten the chance because my health insurance does not pay for speech therapy. We feel so blessed to have this program to help my son be able to enter kindergarten at the same level as other kids and not have to play catch up. Thank you Head Start!

Parent Story: The Story of Caleb Glen Ross—a True Head Start Success Story
by Jennifer Ross
In July 2008, my son Caleb Glen Ross was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy. Within just a few moments our life went from having a son who was a little delayed, to having a son with a lifelong disability. He would turn 2 that September. We left the hospital that day with no information or plan and spent the next 9 months “researching” but feeling LOST, not knowing what life would look like for Caleb. Where and how would he go to school, who would be his friends, what were we going to do? Another agency connected us with the Logan Elementary Head Start, CAPE program.

It was very apparent from the time we walked through the door that this was what I had been searching for. We spent an hour or so in the classroom that day learning what they could do for Caleb, with no mention of what Caleb couldn’t do. Caleb just turned 5 and I am proud to say that when he does begin kindergarten next fall he will be far ahead of his peers who have not had the gift of being in a Head Start program. He is able to phonetically spell 4-5 letter words, knows his numbers and basic addition, and is at the reading level expected beginning first grade. I know this is due to his Head Start education.

A child with a C.P. diagnosis often needs occupational therapy for both small and large motor delays. Thanks to the teaching design of Caleb’s class his small motor tasks such as writing, using scissors, and puzzles have all been addressed and he is on target with his peers. Every Thursday Caleb receives P.T. at school. This is in addition to all of his clinical therapy. This is different though, because all of his classmates participate with him. The therapist also shares information and equipment with his teachers so that his experience at school can be as normal as possible.

Personally, I serve as our Head Start Policy Council President. This has given me a chance to develop self confidence and purpose. By far though the greatest gift we have received from the Head Start program is a blessing shared by us and all of the children in his class. He is being treated as totally equal shows Caleb and his classmate’s acceptance and inclusion. His classmates love the chance to help push him, (if he’s in the mood), don’t think twice about him crawling around the room, and don’t even question why he can’t stand to wash his hands. Even after his time here is finished, I will continue to be involved, though I will never be able to give back all that we have received.

(Please note: except for minor typographical editing, stories appear as titled and written by their authors.)

Opportunities for Parents

Published on November 7, 2011 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

Parent Video: Yipzel

Parent Story: Melanie Lohan

by Eileen Lohan

I have been an employee of Long Island Head Start for 20 years. During my years as an employee I had three children. My oldest child was not able to attend Head Start due to our income but my two other children did due to their disability. My daughter Emilee was born with Erb’s Palsey. She received her OT/ PT and speech services at Head Start. The therapists were able to utilize the conference rooms and whatever space they found to support her.

Then when my daughter Melanie was born she was enrolled in Head Start on her third birthday. During the school year Head Start always conducted the vision screening with an outside agency. I always took my child to the doctors and never saw anything wrong with her. But when she had her vision screening with Head Start they found something wrong and immediately told me to get to the doctors for her left eye. My daughter’s sight was 20/800. My daughter and I went to the eye doctor to find out she had amphobia, a swished lens, and cataracts. She was prepped within the week’s time for surgery in Manhattan. Without this screening my daughter would have been blind. Today with a lens replacement she has 20/40 with glasses. I will always be a forever employee of Head Start and forever be grateful for the help that I received for both of my children.

Parent Story: Becoming an Advocate

by Lisa Grenia

As an adult I never learned the basics of government. I did not know how to contact my lawmakers and why I, or anyone else, would even want to do such a thing. I never truly understood the importance of voting and I definitely did not believe that my voice could make a difference in my city, let alone in the state of Washington.

After my daughter, Maya, enrolled in preschool at the Lower Columbia College Head Start I was educated by school officials and other Head Start/ECEAP parents on the importance of help in the classroom, generating in-kind, and attending parent meetings. Soon I was the classroom representative for Maya’s class. At one of the first few Policy Council meetings, I was informed that dedicated parents were needed to take more active roles and was elected Washington State Head Start Representative. The training for this new position was very helpful but not just for the school; it was helpful in many aspects of my personal life. I brought home some of our teachings to use when addressing my daughter and my husband. This initial training was a jumping off point for better family communication, as well as how to effectively talk to other parents about being active in school processes.

I was thrilled with my new position as Head Start State Rep but did not yet see how important it was. Throughout many of the meetings I kept hearing about this wonderful group of Parent Ambassadors that my friend, Robb was in. Robb and others were doing many things throughout the state and making a difference. My family advocate, Maribeth Foster had pointed out that I may want to look into it since I was already a hands-on parent. Not long after, Sandy Junker and Robb Atherton had both sent me the application with a note sharing their thoughts on why I may want to fill out for the position. With three people believing in me, I decided to step outside my comfort zone and at least apply. My low self esteem told me I would not be picked anyways so what was stopping me. Perhaps I was dragging my feet because, again, I had never believed that one person could make a difference, especially with the connotation of being low income.

With all of these thoughts in my mind I kept coming back to one in particular: Robb had told me that this program “changed his life” and that was a strong statement if you know his background.
Needless to say, I filled out the application with the hopes of being selected as one of the 20 or so parents selected for the Parent Ambassador program throughout the entire state of Washington. I still had no idea the education, experience, and friendships I would make through this yearlong advocacy training and leadership program. I knew the idea was to learn communication and leadership skills, legislative advocacy and grassroots organizing from past Parent Ambassadors, as well as from WSA Executive Director, Joel Ryan, Lori Pittman, and Katy Warren. Hearing many speakers like leadership expert Tracy Flynn, CPS social worker Jennifer Andrade, WSA lobbyist Lonnie Johns Brown, and the many experiences brought to the table by the other Parent Ambassadors gave me the skills to be able participate in efforts that show other parents in our local areas that their voices are important and need to be heard, as well as getting my own voice out there.

The grocery store line has been one of my greatest platforms for sharing information. I have also been active in collecting signatures to be sent to our Senators and Governor in regards to the importance of early childhood education, meeting 18th and 19th district lawmakers, as well as signing a multitude of petitions for what I believe in. I have spoke at parent meetings, sharing the significance of writing letters, making phone calls, attending town hall meetings, and showing others how to advocate for what they feel is important on both the state and federal level. Our efforts are working and I have seen it with my own eyes: we were a cornerstone in defeating Governor Gregoire’s plan to cut child care assistance, we are making sure funding for early childhood education is on the minds of representative such as Ann Rivers, Dean Takko, Brian Blake, Jamie Herrera and Joseph Zarelli. Before participating in the program I thought none of these people would even have taken me seriously. I felt the government was only out for themselves and the money they can get from their power. I was defeated. This program has taught me self confidence, the magnitude of legislation, the power of one person, the abundance of resources we can use through social media sites to reach a wide audience of like minded people, the handiness of knowing Robert’s Rules of order, and that other people feel like I did. I want to make a difference for families and I want others, especially the often-left-out low income parents, to know what they are voting on.

The most amazing part of all is that I feel a change has been swirling inside of me. I cannot go back to my old ways and I am proud to be showing my daughter the importance of volunteerism, diligence, and tactful leadership. Since enrolling in the program I have been offered a new and wonderful position as lead instructor of a children’s after school fitness regimen brought locally through a Physical Education Program grant. I received multiple training certificates, helped put on the Cowlitz County Health & Prevention Fair, lead free boot camp and yoga lessons for multiple organizations like the Highlands Activities and Beautification Committee, as well as the Washington State Association. In 2010 I received an Associates Degree in Sports Management, and am now about a year from a Bachelors in Nutrition Science.

My husband has also been inspired to lend his handyman abilities in leaf blowing business parking lots, helping out at the Cowlitz County Health & Prevention Fair, attending regular parent meetings, as well as running his first ever race.

I would never be able to repay you all! Thank you for the abundant opportunities.

One Window of Opportunity

Published on November 3, 2011 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

(Please note: except for minor typographical editing, stories appear as titled and written by their authors.)

Alumni Story: A Stepping Stone to Success
by Anonymous
I attended Head Start in Cranston, RI almost 30 years ago. Head Start allowed my young mother to continue working to support me and instilled a love of learning and public service in me that continues to this day. Now I proudly serve my country as a Foreign Service Officer at the US Department of State, representing America overseas. We are all capable of accomplishing wonderful things but some of us need a head start. I am proof that providing this head start is a wise investment.

Parent Video: Alyssa & Vincent

Parent Story: The Spark
by April Becker from Grand Rapids, MN
I became a Head Start parent for the first time in 2002 and again in 2003. I was one of those reluctant parents who didn’t understand why these people needed so much information. I did as they wished and our child was accepted into the program. Then they wanted to come into our house. This made me a little uncomfortable. I felt as if they were going to judge us. Then came the home visit and the teacher brought a book over “Froggy Gets Dressed.” She had a felt board story to go along with the book where we dressed and undressed the frog and by the end of the story we were laughing so hard, I even had tears in my eyes. Our experience with Head Start was a wonderful one, my only regret is that I didn’t get as involved in the program as I would have liked.

In 2008 our 3rd child was old enough for preschool so I applied to the Head Start program because I knew how great it was for our first two. This time they had a screening process which was new to me and this scared me a little. I didn’t understand the reasoning for it, there was nothing wrong with our child. Come to find out that he had some speech issues and qualified to receive services through Head Start. What a blessing it was. He was able to receive these services both years he was in Head Start and it continued into Kindergarten. His teachers and the family support staff were so wonderful and helped me to set goals for him as well as for our family.

They made me feel so welcome that I wanted to become more involved this time around. I saw how they worked with the children and it was so much more then teaching the ABC’s and 123′s. I found the social and emotional skills they were teaching 3 and 4 year olds to be amazing. Spending time in the classroom sparked my desire to go to school and acquire a degree in Early Childhood Education.

My twins were the next to enter the program while I was attending school. This time I took the opportunity to serve on the Policy Council as an alternate. It was so rewarding to be a part of something so important that I felt so strongly about. They sent me and the kids’ father to a Parent Power training where we got to meet other parents with similar issues and got some great advice. There were inspirational speakers, great food, accommodations, and not to mention we had a couple of days away from the kiddos together. It was so nice and greatly appreciated.

Through Head Start I learned about AmeriCorps and was fortunate enough to serve in the AmeriCorps program while doing my internship in a Head Start classroom and was also hired on as a Head Start substitute teacher in 2009. Through the support and encouragement from my family and the staff at Head Start I was successful in the completion of my degree. I graduated in 2010 and I am now a Classroom Assistant Teacher for Head Start. I am planning on going for my 4 year so that I can become a lead teacher for the Head Start program. I honestly don’t know where I would be if it were not for Head Start. Thank you Head Start for giving me and my children a Head Start!!!

NHSA Responds to Klein

Published on July 15, 2011 in Uncategorized. 1 Comment

You may have seen Joe Klein’s unfair piece in Head Start in TIME magazine.

I am not sure which of the following was more upsetting in his article: his comparison of the difference that Head Start has made in the lives of millions to oil companies’ subsidies; or the misuse and misinterpretation of the Head Start Impact Study findings (which has become a habit with Head Start’s detractors); or his total oversight of the years of research showing better health habits, higher high school graduation and college attendance rates for Head Start kids; disregard for millions of stories of families’ lives normalized; and for all the children set on a trajectory to succeed in life. My Letter to the Editor was a faint expression of all that needed to be said.

Head Start looks for no excuses! Not every Head Start program is perfect, or even as good as it need be. But I have seen dozens and dozens of breathtaking Head Start programs, met hundreds, maybe thousands, of passionate, mission-driven staff, and been awed by stories of people who give credit to Head Start for being productive members of the society (see the recent Senate testimony of Chuck Mills, businessman, Ret. Marine ).

However, Dr. James Heckman, the Nobel Prize-winning economist did not rely on such subjective, qualitative experiences as mine, but analyzed the data on the return on the investment of the public dollar. And subsequently, he recommended to the Simpson-Bowles Commission that Head Start and Early Head Start should not be cut but expanded. Moreover, 300+ researchers, who had over the decades researched all aspects of Head Start, wrote a letter to Congress earlier this year, stating that Head Start works and urging continued funding for it. Kathy McCartney, the Dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Education knows that Head Start works. http://bit.ly/mTFQD7

The 2007 reauthorization of Head Start has put in place even more quality and accountability safeguards and The Department of Health and Human Services has been adding a number of measures to ensure that every Head Start child receives the best quality of care and learning. As a national commitment, Head Start is poised to be one of the cornerstones of educational reform. And the simple truth is that during those critical earliest years for the most at-risk children in our nation, Head Start has been providing a unique window of opportunity for their brain development and character formation.

We must not let that window be lost for today’s kids and the future generations. Help us keep it open!

-Yasmina Vinci

Head Start Works: I See It Every Day!

Published on July 8, 2011 in Uncategorized. 3 Comments

Head Start – here’s my experience! It works, one child, one family at a time, each and every day.

Let me tell you what it looks like. I live in a rural mid-coast Maine community surrounded by expensive summer homes and significant poverty. The two dwell side by side! I didn’t realize how many of the people living on my street were Head Start families until I followed the little yellow Head Start school bus one morning. People I knew, friends of my children, hard-working families struggling to make ends meet, looking for a window of opportunity that would allow their children to be successful in school and life, to rise above the poverty they were raised in.

Ten years ago I “retired” from my job in D.C. and returned to my home in Maine to be with my children and grandchildren, having accepted the position of Director at my local Head Start program. Because our program was relatively small, I came to know the faces of our families and children, their struggles and triumphs, met them at the grocery store, town meetings, and school events.

Continue reading ‘Head Start Works: I See It Every Day!’

Beating the Odds

Published on June 30, 2011 in Uncategorized. 2 Comments

I’d like to echo comments from the previous bloggers…kudos to NHSA for starting this blog and thanks to all who work and/or have been associated with the Head Start program and the many lives they have touched. Recently, I had the opportunity to testify before the Senate to discuss the impact of Head Start on my life. Who would have ever predicted that a kid from the other side of the tracks of Joliet IL, literally and figuratively, would go on to study and graduate from the U. S. Naval Academy; become a U. S. Marine Corps helicopter pilot and selected to Marine One to fly Presidents George H. W. Bush and William J. Clinton; work on Wall Street as a bond trader; become the Director of the Virginia Department of Business Assistance, Virginia’s equivalent to the Federal Small Business Administration; start and own two businesses; and ultimately be sitting across the aisle from members of Congress to talk about my experiences?

Continue reading ‘Beating the Odds’

From Head Start to the World

Published on June 23, 2011 in Uncategorized. 2 Comments

I too, like Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez, would like to thank all of the wonderful staff working in and on behalf of every Head Start and Early Head Start program across the world, from the bus driver to the director to Senators and community leaders and everyone in between. And yes, I mean world because I know that this program or various aspects of this model, are being used globally in early child care and education settings (thanks World Forum Foundation). Can you believe it?!?!

I decided to tell you my story because it shows how “HEAD START WORKS!!!!”
Continue reading ‘From Head Start to the World’

From Head Start to Congress

Published on June 16, 2011 in Early Head Start and Head Start. 0 Comments

I want to congratulate the National Head Start Association (NHSA) for the launch of this resourceful blog.

I would like to start off by thanking the teachers, community volunteers, health care coordinators and others who help implement the Head Start program in their communities and schools. Head Start’s success is due to the dedication and hard work that they have invested in the future of every Head Start kid.

Being a graduate of the Head Start program and knowing firsthand the benefits, it is my duty to be the lead advocate in Congress. As a child, my mother worried about me entering school because she felt that I was not prepared. It was hard for me to talk to others and I had additional barriers that I did not know how to overcome. Luckily, my mother was informed of this new program, well it was new when I first enrolled, Head Start. Soon after I enrolled, my mother started to notice a difference in me, I even started to talk. I have said this from the beginning and I stand by it, if it were not for Head Start and the dedicated staff who have helped me identify and overcome my obstacles, I would not be where I am today. Head Start gives children and families the help that they need to become contributing members of society. Head Start is fundamental to the success that our future generations will reach.

Continue reading ‘From Head Start to Congress’