New Branch Chief for the Head Start Bureau
Joan Knight Herren, who was appointed Chief of the Training and Technical Assistance Branch in April, is already well-known to many Head Start grantees and T/TA providers. A former Head Start Education Coordinator and Director, she most recently served as Director of the Head Start Resource and Training Center at the University of Maryland, where she managed the Region III Technical Assistance Resource Center(TaSC) and Resource Access Project (RAP), the Head Start Bulletin, and the National Data Management Project. She also created and implemented a series of management seminars for 120 Head Start grantees in Region III, and developed a manual on strategic long range planning for Head Start programs.
Jo was a member of the Advisory Committee for Head Start's National Management Institute, and served on the Advisory Panel and attended the first Head Start/Johnson & Johnson Management Seminar at UCLA. She also served for two years as the Head Start State Training Officer and faculty member teaching courses on "managing Centers for Young Children" at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa.
The single parent of four grown children. Jo is a graduate of the University of Iowa, Iowa City, with a Master's degree in Education Administration with a special emphasis in Early Childhood Education.
Bulletin: Having served as a Head Start T/TA provider for almost 20 years, you bring a unique perspective to your new position as Chief of the T/TA Branch. Can you describe your vision for the Head Start T/TA system?
Jo: My vision is to create an environment where in the National Training and Technical Assistance Team- made up of headquarters and regional office staff, contractors, and grantees- work together to support Head Start program staff in their quest for quality and to guide their progress toward attaining excellence.
The poster behind us in the accompanying photograph was made by Bureau staff and depicts out vision of a multi-faceted, colorful, and dynamic approach to working together to provide leadership and direction in the training function.
The T/TA Branch's immediate concern is to create an integrated, contractors in each region work as part of a team, with the regional office working to streamline services. The emphasis is on responsive to grantees. At the National T/TA Conference this past June, all the participants- who included representatives from the TASC's, the RAP's, the Teaching Centers, and the National Training Contractors-committed themselves to this effort.
The demand for greater coordination extends to the States as well, The T/TA system is dedicated to working closely with the State collaboration grantees-who, ultimately, will include all of the States-and to increasing its support of State Head Start Associations so that we can work together to improve the quality of all training conferences.
Bulletin: In its report, "Creating a 21st Century Head Start," the Advisory Committee on Head Start Quality and Expansion made a number of recommendations to assure that all Head Start programs deliver high-quality, comprehensive services that are responsive to the needs of children and families. What new directions might the T/TA system take to respond to the Advisory Committee's recommendations and address the challenge that all Head Start programs strive for excellence?
Jo: This is an exciting and important time for Head Start. The inception of the Early Head Start initiative transforms the face of the program, and provides many new challenges for training, technical assistance, and resource development to respond to the needs of a national program serving children from birth to age five and their families. Similarly, T/TA network must be ready to help programs prepare to meet the new performance standards.
The T/TA system must also assist programs in meeting new requirements concerning staff development and training. By September 30, 1996, each Head Start classroom must be staffed with a teacher who, at a minimum, possesses a CDA credential or other appropriate qualification. (See bottom of page.) A credentialing process, for family service workers is being developed, as is a Head Start fellowship program to provide leadership development opportunities for Head Start staff and others in the early childhood field. Phase III management training will occur in the fall of 1995. All of these efforts have implications for the T/TA system.
The future holds many opportunities. Of these, two are of special significance. One is the offering of academic credit for ongoing training opportunities. We are committed to exploring the establishment of a national consortium of colleges and universities who will work with us to provide transferable credits toward a degree.
Secondly, the future is in distance learning. Coupling out training events with technology means that improving skill development will be an ongoing, easily accessible process, designed to produce on-the-job results.
Bulletin: What plans are there for the future of the T/TA network?
Jo: Beginning in the fall of 1995 a series of fifteen focus groups will meet in each regional office and in Washington, DC, to discuss the strengths and challenges of the current network and make recommendations for the future. The work of the groups should be completed by spring of 1996 with the expectation that any changes will be phased in. Head Start has always made a strong commitment to staff development and this process will seek to continue the process of improvement by addressing the new and emerging priorities of the time and coupling them with state-of-the art techniques in offering learning opportunities.
Child Development Associate
(CDA)
National Credentialing Program
The Head Start Act has recently been amended to require that by September 30, 1996, at least one teacher in center based Head Start programs must have a CDA Credential or other appropriate qualification. By that time, each Head Start classroom in a center-based program needs to have one teacher who has:
- a CDA credential that is appropriate to the age of the children being served in center-based programs; or
- a State-awarded certificate for preschool teachers that meets or exceeds the requirements for a CDA credential; or
- an associate, baccalaureate, or advanced degree in early childhood education; or
- a degree in a field related to early childhood education with experience in teaching preschool children, and a State-awarded certificate to teach in a preschool program
For further information on the CDA credentialing program, contact:
Council for Early Childhood
Professional Recognition
1341 G Street, NW, Suite 400
Washington, DC 20005
(202) 265-9090
(800) 424-4310