Bring a Principal to Your Head Start Program This October

October 1, 2019
group photo of head starts students in class w/teachers

By Dr. Deborah Bergeron, director of HHS’ Office of Head Start

Across the country, up to 400,000 Head Start children enter kindergarten each year. Children are more likely to sustain progress when Head Start programs and their receiving elementary schools work together on school readiness. The Office of Head Start's "Bring a Principal to Your Head Start" celebration aims to build connections between Head Start programs and receiving schools through face-to-face meetings during the month of October.

Last year we saw Head Start management teams invite principals to read a book to children, host kindergarten teachers and leadership in Head Start classrooms, and conduct working meetings to increase collaboration.

Meaningful collaboration between Head Start programs and receiving schools:

  • builds bridges with receiving schools,
  • helps people understand the value of Head Start in their community, and
  • enhances the respect and regard of Head Start programs among local school principals.

Collaboration between Head Start programs and elementary schools can include data sharing, professional development, universal enrollment and comprehensive services. In the coming weeks we’ll share more about these four levers.

The "Bring a Principal to Head Start" celebration coincides with Head Start Awareness Month and National Principals Month. We are celebrating it in conjunction with the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP), the School Superintendents Association (AASA) and the National Head Start Association (NHSA). The celebration is also part of a larger Leaders in School Readiness campaign, which aims to strengthen the connections between Head Start programs and local elementary schools.

Follow the #LeadersinSchoolReadiness hashtag on Twitter and Facebook to see images and stories of Head Start program leaders meeting with their principal throughout the month of October!

Head Start and Receiving Elementary Schools: Transitions That Work video:

Types:
Blog
ACF Issues:
Children & Youth
Topics:
Head Start

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