Posts by Mel Gravely
What are the Focus Area One and Focus Area Two Monitoring Reviews?
The Head Start Act section 641A outlines that the Secretary of Health and Human Services is responsible for promoting a comprehensive federal monitoring and oversight system. The system must assess program compliance with regulations applicable to Head Start programs. These regulations include regulatory requirements documented in the Head Start Program Performance Standards, the Head Start…
Read MoreSupporting the Mental Health of Head Start Staff
Earlier this past summer, the National Head Start Association (NHSA) announced a new initiative for supporting the mental health of the staff within its member programs. In a press release at the time, NHSA explained that the initiative is meant to address the “unique set of difficult and challenging stressors” that Head Start staff face.…
Read MoreCompensating Head Start Employees
It’s no secret, there is a shortage of workers in the early childhood education (ECE) sector. Private daycares, public preschools, and Head Starts are all competing for a rapidly dwindling labor pool. And unfortunately, the problem is self-perpetuating. Women, who make up the majority of the early childhood education workforce, need childcare to attend work.…
Read MoreHelping Families to Support Positive Behaviors
Every month, we receive an email from the Early Childhood Learning & Knowledge Center (ECLKC) that includes recent announcements from the Office of Head Start, as well as information on any resources that have been recently posted or updated in the knowledge center. If you don’t receive ECKLC’s emails, we highly recommend signing up. The…
Read MoreEmbracing Technology for Differentiated Instruction
This blog was provided by Dr. Nermeen Dashoush, Chief Learning Officer at MarcoPolo Learning and Clinical Assistant Professor of Early Childhood Education at BU Wheelock College of Education & Human Development. The Gravely Group recently partnered with MarcoPolo Learning on a free webinar titled “How Can Technology Provide Greater Access for Families?” A big part…
Read MoreFamilies that are Categorically Eligible to Enroll in Head Start
A month ago, Head Start released a memo stating that families receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits are now categorically eligible for Head Start. What that means is that if families can provide documentation of their eligibility for SNAP benefits, they are automatically eligible to be enrolled in Head Start. They do not need…
Read MoreBack to Basics: Nutrition in Head Start
In Columbus, Ohio, where The Gravely Group is located, the city council voted last week to remove the city-wide mask mandate. Columbus Public School District, Ohio’s largest, did the same, removing any mask requirements for both children and staff. Experts are stating publicly that this might be the beginning of the end of the pandemic,…
Read MoreConsidering Head Start’s Place in Black History
Every year, Black History Month is dedicated to recognizing and honoring the contributions that black Americans have made to American history. It was first recognized as a national educational initiative by Gerald Ford in 1976. In researching for this blog, I myself learned some things about the history of Black History Month and how it…
Read MoreMulticultural Principles for Early Childhood Leaders
We here at The Gravely Group recently started piloting a new training on the Multicultural Principles for Early Childhood Leaders. We’ve been using this document for years, incorporating its lessons into many of our trainings, such as on ERSEA and Family Engagement. But we recently decided to review it again in its entirety after our…
Read MoreThe Gravely Group 2021 Year in Review
We’ll be honest. If you had asked us during our last Year in Review blog if we’d still be talking about COVID-19 affecting our day to day lives, we’d have said, “I sure hope not!” In December 2020 when we were writing it, the vaccines had just become available for those at highest risk and…
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