Staff Have Been Busy Earning Credentials

LCCAA Head Start staff members easily share their love of lifelong learning with their students every day because they are still learning themselves. More than a dozen staff members have earned new credentials in the last six months.

Many have worked in Head Start for a number of years and several have also sent their children through the program.

Damaris Velazquez-Rodriguez earned her master’s degree to support her current and future students.

“It’s gratifying to help students learn and develop skills and a strong foundation,” said the dual-language classroom teacher at Hopkins-Locke.

All staff earning credentials cited their love of children as the main reason for working to increase their skills.

“Children are fascinating little people,” said Nilsa Baez, a Family Service Assistant (FSA) at Hopkins-Locke for the last 10 years who earned her Child Development Associate (CDA) credential.

“I want to have a positive impact on children’s lives,” said Wellington Early Childhood Service Worker Stacey Minter.

The CDA is considered foundational for early childhood education professionals. It requires extensive coursework as well as a classroom observation. In all, 14 staff members have earned their CDA since December 1. (Some declined recognition.)

“Between the pandemic and workforce changes in the last four years, staff has been required to make a lot of shifts,” said LCCAA Head Start Professional Development Specialist LouAnn Rhodes. “Our classroom staff have stretched between the responsibilities of teaching children as well as learning themselves.”

In addition to their jobs at LCCAA, staff

juggled their own children, other jobs or caring for elderly parents as they completed the process.

“They do all this because of their dedication to children and families we serve,” Rhodes said.

“They have so much to be proud of and celebrate as they reach their goals!”

Other staff earning CDAs recently include:

Hortensia Agosto, FSA Griswold

Tarnisha Freeman, FSA Wellington

Jonelle Kirby, ECSW Griswold

Ruth Martin, ECSW Griswold

Yaraydaliz Medina, ECSW Hopkins Locke

Marlis Moon, Asst. Teacher, Griswold

Tina Showalter, FSA Firelands

Chelsea Stubbs, ECSW Griswold

X Jackie Watkins, FSA Hopkins-Locke