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| Parent Adeline Martinez tells community leaders on bus about the hardships she has endured during this sloppy transition. |
Our sisters and brothers who are struggling to keep their Head Start jobs in South Los Angeles were joined by parents, local clergy, community leaders, and elected officials on a rolling bus tour on October 11th of Head Start centers that are weeks late opening or completely shuttered. Several reporters joined the tour, which shined some light on the unnecessarily rough transition of program oversight to new operators.
“I had to drop out of my own college classes that the Head Start program helped me find. I’m studying to be a nurse, but now I’m forced to stay home and get my son ready for kindergarten myself,” explained parent Harvesha Knight. “By the time I learned that his Head Start center wasn’t opening on time, the transitional kindergarten program at our elementary school was already full.”
Read coverage of this event in Los Angeles Spanish Language Daily, La Opinión.
Read more about this campaign: our August actions and our September actions.
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| Parents and children attempt to “unlock” their Head Start center with the Key to Children’s Success! |
Volunteers of America and Crystal Stairs kept parents and former Head Start staff in the dark all summer long and only started telling parents late September — weeks after the originally publicized start date — to re-enroll their children to get on waiting lists for a program their child was already enrolled in. Most of these agencies’ centers in Compton, Lynwood, and Paramount remain locked up or unready for kids. Many highly qualified staff members, with more than 3,000 years of combined experience, have not even been offered interviews. In August, parents delivered nearly 500 signatures asking that existing staff be kept on at their Head Start centers. Families, staff, and community leaders are fed up with this sloppy transition.
“I was fortunate enough to get hired,” said teacher Samantha Sareth. “But my co-teacher wasn’t. She has years of experience, a Masters degree, and knows this community. I’m sad, frustrated, and so confused. We ran a wonderful classroom together. What is the process for making these decisions? I’ve always believed it doesn’t make sense to ‘fix’ something that isn’t broken.”
The tour ended with a press conference featuring Head Start alumnus U.S. Congresswoman Linda Sánchez, representing the 39th District, including Compton, Lynwood, and Paramount.
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| United States Congresswoman Linda Sánchez speaks out in support of families and staff in front of Small World Head Start Center in Compton. |
“I’m especially honored to stand with parents who want nothing more than to give their kids a quality education,” said Congresswoman Sánchez. “Head Start has shown time and time again that it can help less fortunate kids build better lives and compete. But schools have to open in order to do that!”
