NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release – April 23, 2007

Contacts:                               
                       Cynthia Fenech, Communications Coordinator, 525-5139      
                       Judy Leitz, Communications Coordinator, 209-525-6908      

Early Childhood Administration Center to be Named After Longtime Educator Harold DeArmond

The Stanislaus County Office of Education (SCOE) and the Stanislaus County Head Start Policy Council, recently announced that the Child and Family Services building, located at 1324 Celeste Drive in Modesto, will be dedicated in honor of longtime educator Harold DeArmond and renamed the Harold DeArmond Early Childhood Administration Center.  A dedication ceremony is planned for Saturday, April 28 at 1:30 p.m. at the center.

DeArmond received his BA degree from San Francisco State University and MA degrees from California State University Stanislaus and the University of San Francisco. His professional career in education has spanned 40 years.  He has been a teacher at both the elementary and college levels, and an administrator at the elementary, Junior College and County Office levels.  He spent a year as a consultant in Early Childhood Education for the California State Department of Education before returning to the Stanislaus County Office of Education in 1985 as Director of Head Start.  He is currently Assistant Superintendent, overseeing the Child and Family Services Division for the office.

DeArmond says he became convinced of the effectiveness and importance of Early Childhood Education in 1975 and has worked to further the field ever since.  He has served as treasurer, vice president and president of the National Migrant Head Start Director’s Association and in 2005 received the organization’s highest honor – The Plate of Bounty Award.  He is a member of the California Head Start Association Board and serves on numerous other state and national committees.

“Throughout Hal’s years at SCOE he has championed the importance of a high quality preschool experience and the impact it can make in the life of a child,” said Stanislaus County Superintendent of Schools Tom Changnon.  “He has dedicated his life to improving preschool education programs for children and it’s an honor to recognize him in this way.”

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