Leadership

Dr. Deborah Bergeron is the director of the Office of Head Start (OHS). Known as "Dr. B", she has been a teacher at heart her entire life. She has spent three decades in pre-K–12 public education as a classroom teacher and elementary and high school administrator. In the course of her career, Dr. B also started, grew, and ultimately sold her own educational services company. During her tenure as a school administrator, she specialized in school improvement. In three different school systems, Dr. Bergeron used strategies around school climate and effective instruction to inspire staff. In turn, staff were able to provide students with programming and instruction that yielded significant gains, including in reading, math, discipline, and graduation rates.

Since joining OHS in April 2018, Dr. B has used her experience as an elementary principal and her strong background in pre-K–12 instructional leadership to provide unique insights into how Head Start programs can support our most vulnerable children in becoming school ready. She has focused her energy on improving the relationship between Head Start programs and the public school system. Dr. B continues to work at both the national level and with education influencers at the state and local levels to affect change.

In January 2019, Dr. Bergeron was asked to broaden her leadership to include the Office of Early Childhood Development (ECD) in the Administration for Children and Families. Her vision for ECD, in conjunction with the work for OHS, is to transform how the nation prioritizes early childhood programming and to create a more collaborative, cohesive environment for children, families, and staff.

Dr. Bergeron holds a bachelor’s degree from Texas State University. She earned a master’s in education leadership and doctorate in education policy from George Mason University.

OHS Organization

OHS has 12 Regional Offices that support the administration of grants, oversight, and T/TA. These offices are located in:

• Boston, MA
• New York, NY
• Philadelphia, PA
• Atlanta, GA
• Chicago, IL
• Kansas City, MO
• Dallas, TX
• Denver, CO
• San Francisco, CA
• Seattle, WA

The Regional Offices for American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) and Migrant and Seasonal Head Start (MSHS) programs are located in Washington, DC .