Meet the Team

Elsie Blaylock

Director: Supervises all program operations, overseeing all personnel, authorizing purchases, preparing the budget, and drafting the annual grant application. The director also promotes good relations with the community and serves as a resource person to the Policy Council.

Education Specialist: Responsible for the quality of the educational program provided by the Center and oversees all Educational Staff.

Rita Mayfield

Asst. Mentor Coach/Education Supervisor: Provides for a process of equipping people with the tools, knowledge, and opportunities they need to fully develop themselves to be effective in their commitment to themselves, the program, and their work and Supervises all teaching staff and related services associated with teaching.

Ann Wakefield

Family Services Worker: Works closely with families, assisting with obtaining services, screenings, following up on services rendered home visits, and tracking services through the Galileo system.

Cynthia Beasley

Safety Coordinator: Ensures safety in the Head Start Center, assisting the Health Service Specialist to implement systems that will ensure child safety. Also responsible for making sure all the regulations are implemented and followed by staff. Staff is also kept updated with current changes to regulations.

Alexis Murphy

Family/Community Partnership Specialist: Responsible for the areas of both Parent Involvement and Social Services. The Specialist provides guidance to individual parents, conducts parent needs surveys, supervises the parent areas and bulletin board, and works with the Policy Council. The Specialist recruits and enrolls children into the Program and helps conduct parent trainings. Aides staff in professional development activities, helps children and families with the transition to the school system. coordinates literacy related activities for the children, families and classrooms.

Carrie Swafford

Disabilities Specialist: Oversees all services to disabled enrollees including scheduling and conducting IEP meetings, setting up contracts for therapy and other specialized services, and helping children and families make the transition to public school.

Health Services Specialist: Supervises the dental, medical, and mental health aspects of the program. Serves as a liaison and advocate as well as assisting parents with any needs in these areas. Ensures the health and safety of the children and center.

Nutrition Specialist: Ensures all nutritional needs of each child are met by making sure all meals and snacks served at Head Start meet the USDA regulations.

MIS Specialist: Responsible for ensuring all data from each service area is received and accurately entered into the computer filing system, enabling daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and /or yearly report generation in addition to tracking children and families.

Hilda Starkey

Literacy/Educational/Mentor Support: Develops and tracks our Literacy program, including but not limited to Power-packs & Lending Library. Mentors the Teacher and Teacher Aide in the classrooms and if needed is prepared to assume the Teacher Aide’s classroom responsibilities as needed.

Classroom Assignments

Our teachers plan the classroom activities, supervise volunteers and family members/guardians in the classroom, supervise teacher’s assistants, and conduct at least two (2) home visits to each family during the year. They also assess the child’s developmental stages and, with the help of the parent/guardian, work with the child to achieve individualized educational goals.

Classroom A