Navajo officials address Head Start problems

By Emy Zah
The Daily Times

FARMINGTON — Federal Head Start officials are in Window Rock, Ariz. meeting with Navajo officials, according to George Hardeen, communications director for the Navajo President Joe Shirley Jr.

"The president briefed (Head Start officials) on the Corrective Action Plan," Hardeen said. "The whole meeting outlined progress that was made in correcting the deficiencies."

He said Channell Wilkins, associate commissioner for the Head Start bureau, met with various agencies from the Navajo government Monday and would continue to meet with more officials today.

Agencies involved in the meetings included the Division of Public Safety, Division of Diné Education, Department of General Services, Department of Justice and Division of Health. All are part of the president's corrective action plan, Hardeen said.

"The president asked to get Head Start running as soon as possible," he said.

Wilkins is scheduled to meet with the Navajo Nation Council's Education Committee at 10 a.m. today in the Navajo Nation Council Chambers, said Council Delegate Wallace Charley of Shiprock. He is also the vice chair of the committee.

Charley said the committee would ask for a partial lifting of the suspension so that Head Start staff could begin to prepare for the upcoming school year.

"We need to put some people back to work to address those things (that need to be corrected)," he said.

Using seat belts as an example, Charley said Head Start buses are equipped with seat belts that are too long for the children and fixing the problem requires staffing.

Navajo Head Start was put on summary suspension in May due to a lack of background checks, employee assessments, employee declarations, parent policy council involvement and problems with the ongoing monitoring of Head Start Operations, according to a May 1 letter from the Administration of Children and Families to Navajo Head Start officials.

Navajo Head Start has nearly 1,000 employees and serves over 3,000 children. Most of the employees were about to go on summer furlough when the suspension was issued but there are about 90 employees who work for Head Start year round.