ACYF
Administration on Children, Youth and Families |
U.S. DEPARTMENT
OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Administration for Children and Families |
| 1. Log No. ACYF-IM-HS-98-18 |
2. Issuance Date: 11/27/98 |
| 3. Originating Office: Head Start Bureau |
| 4. Key Word: Management |
INFORMATION MEMORANDUM
TO: All Head Start and Early Head Start Grantees and Delegate Agencies
SUBJECT: 1999 National
Conference for New Directors
INFORMATION:
The Administration on Children, Youth and Families' Head Start Bureau is pleased to invite new Head Start and Early Head Start Directors to the 1999 National Conference for New Directors. This conference will be held in Washington, D.C. from February 2-February 5, 1999. An optional pre-conference day focusing on the Head Start Program Performance Standards and philosophy will be held on February 1, 1999.
The purpose of the conference is to provide a national orientation for new directors that addresses the challenges and opportunities they encounter as leaders of the Head Start and Early Head Start programs in an evolving environment. The target audience is Head Start and Early Head Start grantee and delegate agency directors who have been in their present position less than two years.
If you are a new director, this conference will give you the opportunity to:
- Gain a deeper understanding of the
Performance Standards in context of the history, values and future
of Head Start.
- Design a professional development plan
that is tailored to individual needs (considering the unique
qualities and professional development resources available at
local, state, and regional venues).
- Network with other new directors from
across the country, Federal staff from the Central Office, staff
from the Quality Improvement Centers and Disabilities Quality
Improvement Centers, and other members of the national Head Start
Learning community.
- Attend working sessions to enhance your knowledge and skill development that address three fundamental areas of leadership: Management Competencies, Interpersonal Competencies, and Technical Competencies.
The conference will be held at the Renaissance Hotel in Washington, DC. On Monday, February 1, there will be an optional pre-conference day focusing on the Head Start Program Performance Standards and philosophy. The conference begins at 9:00 am on February 2 and closes by 1:00 p.m. on Friday, February 5, 1999. Participants will be divided into two tracks: new to Head Start and new to position.
The attached Registration Questionnaire and Conference Information Sheet explains how to register for the conference. The registration cost for the conference is $250. You will need to pay for your meals, travel, and lodging expenses. Funds from your program's current Head Start grant (either earmarked training and technical funds or funds from the basic Head Start or Early Head Start grant) can be used to pay the costs associated with attending the conference. Registration forms are to be sent to PaL-Tech, Inc., the contractor organizing the conference, by December 30, 1998.
The leadership that the Head Start or Early Head Start Director provides is critical to the overall quality of services Head Start and Early Head Start programs deliver. According to the Advisory Committee on Head Start Quality and Expansion report, Creating a 21st Century Head Start:
The challenges faced by local Head Start programs have multiplied in size, scope, and complexity in recent years. HHS and local grantees must ensure that the managers of local Head Start programs have what they need to lead programs effectively in a changing world: knowledge, skills, commitment not only to children and families but to the complex tasks of management and leadership, and the support and infrastructure they need to manage effectively.
It is particularly important that new directors in Head Start and Early Head Start receive the guidance and support they need to be successful in their new roles. We believe that this conference is one step towards that end. I encourage all new directors to attend this conference.
/S/
Helen H. Taylor
Associate Commissioner
Head Start Bureau
