Creating a High-Trust PreK-3 Classroom That Works: From Control to Connection

About the Presenters

Dr. Deborah Bergeron (or Dr. B, as she is known to students and educators) has spent over 30 years working to support the growth and development of children. She worked in public education as a middle and high school classroom teacher and an elementary and high school administrator, and holds a school superintendent license in Virginia. In 2018, Dr. B was asked to lead the Office of Head Start and the Office of Early Childhood Development at the Administration for Children and Families in the Department of Health and Human Services. It was here where Dr. B developed her passion for Head Start, Early Head Start, and the early learning environment in general.

In January 2021, Dr. B joined the National Head Start Association as the Deputy Director of Community Engagement and Innovation. Dr. B advocates for programming that develops the whole child and embraces the value the family has in that process. “Parents are a child’s first and most important teacher,” is her favorite mantra, compliments of Head Start. Dr. B holds a B.S.Ed. from Texas State University, a master’s degree in education leadership, and a Ph.D. in education policy and education psychology from George Mason University. She lives in Virginia with her husband and has four awesome children who, although are all grown up, will always be her heart!

Rhonda Conn-Parent has been teaching for 30+ years in public, private, and charter schools using fine arts as a vehicle to discover the joy, capabilities, and magic we are capable of creating—inside or outside the classroom. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in Disciplined-Based Art Education from the University of North Texas. She has had training and experience with a variety of teaching methods, from Montessori to Waldorf to the European format of educating young people.

For 17 years, she owned Studio 101, her private fine arts school for children ages 3-18. From these experiences, she is inspired by and extracts the good from a variety of strategies to grow children—their soul and brain through joy, trust, and the thrill that can accompany the struggle. She has two adult children and lives in Colorado Springs with her awesome husband and random foster dogs. She enjoys surfing, karaoke, and the occasional spontaneous dance party with her students at school!