Hillsborough County Public Schools Head Start Receives State Award from the Florida Head Start Association

TALLAHASSEE, FL – September 18, 2018 - Loren Herndon of Hillsborough County Public School Head Start program in Tampa, FL receives top honors from the Florida Head Start Association (FHSA), Teacher of the Year.

Ms. Herndon is a teacher of four-year olds with the Hillsborough County Public Schools Head Start program. She holds a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood and Curriculum, holds certification in Pre-K through third grade, and is a National Board-Certified teacher. She has facilitated the implementation of the Empowering Effective Teachers program, is the team leader for Head Start, and routinely conducts data chats in which education teams use data to provide differentiated instruction.

She has demonstrated the capacity to be a learner by scheduling conferences with members of the school resource team, such as the reading coach, to model lessons and create collaborative connections. Through these activities, the student skills of phonological awareness and print knowledge have greatly improved.

Ms. Herndon is also a member of the school Positive Behavior Support team. In this role, she supports a school wide positive behavior system, expected behaviors and a specific reporting system.  According to Ms. Herndon, “I joined the PBS team because of my belief in modifying negative behaviors by rewarding desired behaviors.”

Ms. Herndon created a test to evaluate Head Start student progress that was selected as the preferred assessment used to measure growth throughout the academic year. Colleagues from all across her community have offered praise and positive feedback on the use of the assessment tool. Ms. Herndon is a true leader and learner in her field.

The 2019 awards were selected by a panel and recipients will be honored during FHSA annual awards luncheon in West Palm Beach attended by Head Start/Early Head Start Directors, Staff, Parents and early childhood education leaders.

The Florida Head Start Association is a nonprofit organization working on behalf of the 41,000 children and families Head Start Programs serve in Florida. FHSA has been the voice for Florida's most vulnerable children and families since 1999 and is committed to enhancing and supporting the capability of local Head Start program in the delivery of high quality services for our children and families.