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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:4.5pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:6.0pt;margin-left:0in;background:white;vertical-align:baseline'><b><span style='font-size:14.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#5E2066'>Statement of Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker, III:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;line-height:15.1pt;background:white;vertical-align:baseline'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#353432'>Despite Notification of Termination of the Prince George’s County Public Schools Head Start Program<br>Head Start Program will start on time on August 29, 2016<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;line-height:15.1pt;background:white;vertical-align:baseline'><span style='font-family:"inherit","serif";color:#353432'>Upper Marlboro, MD – Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker, III released this statement following notification by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that Prince George’s County Head Start program grant has been terminated as a consequence of deficiencies that were not corrected in a timely manner:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;line-height:15.1pt;background:white;vertical-align:baseline'><span style='font-family:"inherit","serif";color:#353432'>“I am angry and extremely disappointed at the recent news that the grant for the Prince George’s County Head Start Program through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has been terminated. I have asked Dr. Maxwell to address this matter immediately and I have confidence that he and the Board of Education will ensure that the families of the 932 children in the program do not lose this valuable and important educational service. The acts that are documented in the report from Head Start are unacceptable and will not be tolerated in our school system<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;line-height:15.1pt;background:white;vertical-align:baseline'><span style='font-family:"inherit","serif";color:#353432'>Head Start was designed to provide a nurturing learning environment for early learners and our school system must ensure that the students we are entrusted to protect are safe. This report demonstrates that there are teachers and other school professionals in our school system who did not understand the sacred nature of their responsibility. It is my understanding that Dr. Maxwell has dealt with them swiftly, as well as addressed this situation with the entire Prince George’s County Public Schools Head Start staff. We must rid the system of those who do not take their responsibility seriously.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;line-height:15.1pt;background:white;vertical-align:baseline'><span style='font-family:"inherit","serif";color:#353432'>As a result of this situation, I have assigned members of my senior staff to work with Prince George’s County Public Schools to resolve this matter and restore funding to this extremely critical program. I also want to assure the families in our Head Start Program that school will start on August 29 as scheduled and that your child will be nurtured and provided with an excellent head start to their education. We absolutely take the protection and care of your child as our most important duty.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;line-height:15.1pt;background:white;vertical-align:baseline'><span style='font-family:"inherit","serif";color:#353432'>###<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Harlow Solid Italic"'>Jessica<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"'>Jessica E. Barnes<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"'>Town Clerk<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"'>Riverdale Park<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"'>5008 Queensbury Road<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"'>Riverdale Park, MD 20737<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"'><a href="http://www.riverdaleparkmd.info/">www.riverdaleparkmd.info</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif"'>301-927-6381<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>