At Family Educational Network of Weld County, a rural Head Start and Migrant and Seasonal Head Start grantee in Colorado, staff members participate in planning their own professional development and supervisors celebrate their staffs’ educational achievements.

This grantee has offered staff support by collaborating with community colleges, tapping funds for tuition and books through a federal grant, advocating for staff with partners, ensuring all staff have opportunities to learn, and encouraging distance education for staff in rural locations.

Head Start Director Janet Flaugher placed an emphasis on professional development when she joined the program three years ago. "I find that staff members who understand the importance of self-improvement impart this important message to families and others in their circle," Ms. Flaugher notes. "It is clear that an emphasis on continuous advancement helps the entire program by improving staff skills and raising staff morale."

Ms. Flaugher described the annual survey of staff training needs. This survey supports the cornerstone of the program's professional development system—an employee evaluation conducted every six months that includes a personal professional development plan. Furthermore, professional development is embedded in all systems— annual planning, continuous monitoring, self-assessment, work planning, and TTA planning.

Collaboration is another key element of the success of Family Educational Network's professional development. AIMS Community College in Greeley is an important and proactive partner, according to Ms. Flaugher. Through a federally funded Hispanic Partnership Grant, AIMS (see page 11 where AIMS is listed as a Higher Education Grantee) is able to offer the following assistance to Head Start teachers:

• Tuition support for courses taken at AIMS
• Funds for books
• Study groups
• Financial assistance for staff taking distance learning courses at other institutions in rural locations
• Support for the new mentor teacher and mentor coach programs
• Modified course schedules including classes offered late in the day at Head Start centers (This is particularly important for staff that work year-round due to work in regional programs that end before summer and migrant and seasonal programs that operate from June to September.)
• Courses tailored to bilingual staff

The AIMS grant is dedicated to Head Start teachers. There also is support for general staff training through a tuition assistance program in Weld County dedicated to improving the skills of all staff. Managers, directors, office technicians, family liaisons, recruiters and others may tap these funds. Furthermore, tuition support available for staff through the TTA plan has been accessed by 6-10 people per year, according to Ms. Flaugher.

To stay well informed about state education initiatives, Ms. Flaugher collaborates on the state systems task force that works to achieve statewide outcomes for early childhood education, is engaged in the Weld County promises for Children education initiative, and works cooperatively with the Colorado Head Start Collaboration Office director.

The success of the grantee's emphasis on education and improving staff skills is evident—students are graduating from AA programs and starting their coursework to earn a Bachelor’s degree. Ms. Flaugher refers to them as "champions" and "people living up to expectations," and notes with pride that their achievements are recognized and honored. She added, "Our program actually has quite a few former Head Start parents in management and teaching positions. We are very proud of their accomplishments."

This grantee actively recruits parents for positions for which they might qualify, such as teacher assistant, bus monitor and janitor. Like other staff, parents in these positions qualify for the educational support described above.

Family Educational Network of Weld County encourages staff to shine by reaching challenging goals. Because of careful professional development planning supported by funds and education for all staff members, their strategy is impressive and successful.