Native American Head Start Issues Discussed

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Attendees of the 27th Annual Native American Child and Family Conference walked away from the event with information that will help to better their local Head Start programs and improve the experience for their young students. Speakers covered many important issues, including the recent Head Start reauthorization and how to keep children both physically and mentally healthy. But there was one topic that some attendees would have liked to see discussed.

“We have a difficult time finding (driver) trainers and training opportunities in our area,” said Janese Curtis, director of Eight Northern Head Start, San Juan Pueblo, N.M. “I would like transportation issues to be discussed (at the conference).”

Curtis runs two separate sites as part of her program and uses two buses to transport her children. She was able to find a trainer in the southern part of New Mexico that trained one of her two drivers off-site and also provided on-site training for her transportation staff.

Vendors at the conference’s trade show also saw a need for transportation training.

“I think the biggest challenge is the ability to get newer school transportation equipment to meet their needs. The comment I heard from several of the attendees was that our buses are very old,” said Bill Loshbough, western sales manager for C.E. White. “I think that the presence of companies that have driver training products that would assist them in training of students on safe riding that could be integrated into their curriculum program would be of assistance.”

Head Start directors, teachers, school bus drivers and even parents from close to 50 different programs came together for this year’s event. Workshops covered changes in the federal program’s policies, ways to preserve Native American culture within individual agencies, the possibilities and productivity of partnerships, and how to resolve conflicts with young children.

Deborah Mirabel, a Head Start director from Taso Pueblo, N.M., and the chairperson of the conference, opened the ceremonies on Sunday morning and introduced the keynote speaker, Regis Pecos, the chief of staff for the New Mexico Office of the Speaker of the House. Pecos began his keynote address with a prayer in his native language. Pecos served as executive director of the New Mexico Office of Indian Affairs for 16 years.

Workshop speakers included Ann Humphrey, who spoke about the importance of working with mental health professionals, and Toni Dobrec, senior manager of Three Feathers Associates, who gave participants an overview of the federal Head Start reauthorization act and how changes would affect their programs.