News! The Gold Star Crew Launches!

Gold Star Crew has embarked on an exciting new course. Three core colleagues with over 60 combined years of experience in Early Childhood Education have formed a fresh partnership to help communities maintain and strengthen early learning programs, including Head Start, Early Head Start, child care, and programs for children with special needs. Kerry, Rita, and Dora have a proven track record that can help your group take advantage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which includes $5 billion invested in education both as a way to provide jobs now and lay the foundation for long-term prosperity.

Kerry is attending the upcoming National Head Start conference in Dallas. She will return to Oakland ready to roll up her sleeves and start helping programs all over the U.S. achieve their goals for excellent 0-5 services.

Our Services

Building upon current strengths and maximizing the hard work already done, Gold Star Crew will work for your program and create a custom plan. You tell us where you want to go, what you want to create, enhance or refine and we will develop an action plan. Together, we will work with you. Our special strengths:

Program Planning and Management


Community Partnerships


Early Literacy/Language Development
English Language Learners


Parent Engagement/Involvement


Curriculum Selection/Classroom Practices


Diversity - Cultural, Economic, Linguistic

Who We Are

Kerry Forbord
Early Childhood Education is a passion of mine. I have worked directly in Head Start programs (management) as well as serving on the Policy Committee, preparing for Federal Reviews, conducting staff development, providing parent education and children’s learning activities at multiple sites. I also started a bilingual literacy program for Head Start families. In the capacity of Executive Director at a nonprofit organization, have brought multiple resources, cultural events and parent engagement activities to Head Starts and State Preschool programs.

Starting my career as a preschool special education teacher and developing the district’s first full inclusion program set me on the track of working with children 0-5 and their parents. As a West Ed PITC Trainer I have had the chance to work with many ECE staff in the 0-3 area. For the past 9 years I have directed a nonprofit focused on early childhood education in inner city areas. From staff development and mentoring, school readiness, to launching culturally specific parent/child programs, this position has expanded my knowledge of resources, research and best practices. During my tenure, programs have been developed that serve Head Starts, State pre-K and Even Start programs. Launching the first Native centered ECE program in our community with Intertribal Friendship House was another successful experience.


Rita Jones
A humble native of Oakland, California, I’ve been having a ball for 15 years reaching children ages two through five years in a single bound. Gently educating, stimulating and challenging children’s mind, body and spirit is an everyday occurrence. Enjoying nature's gentle creatures while running at full speed seems to make laughter greater for the children.

Implementing Early Childhood Curricula and supporting programs for families who come from diverse economic and cultural populations comes naturally. Engaging parents in First Teacher Trainings and mentoring staff development for First Five has allowed me to feel that it takes the entire village to succeed.

Dora Pulido-Tobiassen
Dora Pulido-Tobiassen conducts early childhood and diversity training at a local and national level in English and Spanish. One of her areas of interest are infant/toddler program development, design, and staff training. She provides program assessments, preparation for external evaluations, and technical assistance to center and home based programs. She is also experienced in early literacy and language development and parent engagement. Dora is proficient in intentional teaching and relationship based approaches to early learning. She has been part of the development and implementation of numerous parent engagement efforts.

She was Director of Early Childhood Projects and Community Capacity Building for California Tomorrow in Oakland, California. She is co-author of Looking In, Looking Out: Redefining Early Care and Education in a Diverse Society, A Place To Begin: Working with Parents on Issues of Diversity, and Embracing Our Future: Diversity Leadership Training Curriculum and Opening Doors/Abriendo Puertas. A graduate of U.C. Berkeley, she is a bilingual/bicultural Mexican, the daughter of immigrant parents.

Successful Projects

Designed and implemented a family literacy program for Spanish speaking families, with the SF Bay Area Unity Council.

Opened a storefront community classroom, with Oakland Ready to Learn.

Placed thousands of quality books into the hands of children, with Oakland Ready to Learn.

Launched the first Native centered ECE program with Oakland Intertribal Friendship House.

Testimonials

"Ms. Kerry Forbord is a dedicated educator and community leader and champion of quality early learning experiences for children, birth - 5, without parallel! As the Executive Director of Oakland Ready to Learn, Ms. Forbord has demonstrated unwavering leadership and advocacy for high-quality community-based early learning experiences and programming for children and families, focusing on language, literacy and social emotional development. As a community partner with the Even Start program, I've experienced Ms. Forbord hosting ongoing early learning service provider collaboration meetings and numerous networking events, to facilitate the development of sustainable and lasting, early learning partnerships. If you'd like to ensure that high-quality, developmentally and culturally appropriate early learning services are provided for children and families in your community, without compromise, Ms. Kerry Forbord can successfully lead this charge!"
April 2010
Tracey Black, City of Oakland Program Planner

"It is my pleasure to write this recommendation on behalf of Kerry Forbord. Kerry’s expertise in the area of child development and child centered programs for ages 0-5 is exceptional. Her ability to recognize and respect different skills, knowledge and personal attributes in building a culturally competent team create an environment where more ideas can be generated. By recognizing and tapping into a huge range of skills available she is able to utilize & deliver extraordinary programs and results."
April 2010
Martha Martinez, MPA, former Executive Director Intertribal Friendship House

"Kerry Forbord brings integrity, tenacity and creativity to every project and program. Her collaborative nature is rare and makes partnering a snap. I have worked with her on numerous projects over the past decade in the Fruitvale and San Antonio neighborhoods (inner city Oakland) and have found the kind of success that comes when families' learning experiences are the top priority. Most recently, she and her staff facilitated a visioning process where families determined what they wanted our school-based child care center to look like and feel like. Taking that vision, she created a space that is developmentally stimulating, culturally celebratory and, just plain old fun! From huge Cinco de Mayo celebrations to providing professional development for our early child care workers, Kerry is a partner worth knowing!"
April 2010
Jamie Lopez, East Bay Asian Youth Center, Managing Director/ EBAYC at Garfield

"This letter is written on behalf of Kerry Forbord, Community Partner with the City of Oakland's Early Head Start and Head Start Program. Ms. Forbord has expertise in many areas of Early Childhood Education. She understands Head Start and Head Start regulations and how to help programs prepare for Federal Reviews, especially in the area of special needs. Miss Forbord has worked with our Head Start program for many years, and her work resulted in high praise from the Federal Review team. As a Community Partner with Head Start, Ms. Forbord also brings to our program her expertise in parent education and early literacy. She has established a great rapport with many community based organizations and her enthusiasm is exemplified in all her work through Early Care and Education."
April 2010
Usana Hopkins, Director, Oakland Head Start

"Kerry Forbord has vast and rich experience in the realm of early childhood education, family support services, and community partnerships and organizing. I have had the pleasure of working with Kerry in both the non-profit realm, and in the Head Start /Early Head Start arena. Kerry brings with her a wealth of experience which includes but is not limited to:

• Multi-Cultural program planning and implementation
• Development and implementation of developmental play groups/socializations experiences for infants, toddlers, pre-school age children and their families
• Literacy based activities that are multi-cultural to the specific needs of the communities with whom she is working with
• Consultation to ECE providers and family support specialists
• Strong understanding of Head Start and Early Head Start Performance Standards and Federal Regulations
• Consultation skills to Head Start/Early Head Start Services preparing for federal reviews
• Grant writing and reporting experience
• Strong knowledge of culturally relevant early childhood education and development, program development, implementation, and monitoring to ensure ongoing best practices and quality of care."

April 2010
Rebecca Hawley-Cooper, Director Early Head Start City of Oakland


“Kerry brings passion and ingenuity to her work with young children and managing an organization. She is a creative thinker, always wondering how to improve on the ways things are done. She manages programs with integrity and is a strong advocate for young people. Kerry's face lights up with joy when she sees on the faces of children that her efforts have succeeded.”
March 8, 2009
Jennie Mollica , Senior Project Manager , Annie E. Casey Foundation - Making Connections Oakland Initiative was with another company when working with Kerry at Oakland Ready to Learn

“Kerry's passion for what she does infuses into my interactions with her. I love working with Kerry and learning from her at the same time. The experience and background knowledge she has for education and the needs of Oakland is astounding. Her passion and spirit for collaboration creates a nurturing and supportive atmosphere around her. I'm so happy to be working with Kerry!”
July 2, 2008
Isa S Chu , Children and Youth Program Analyst , City of Oakland was with another company when working with Kerry at Oakland Ready to Learn

"She brings an energy, dedication and enthusiasm to the table that are infectious. Wherever she lands, Ms. Forbord will hit the ground running. If you can get her to run for you, do so. You won't be disappointed. ”
July 7, 2008
Ronn Kilby , Owner , The Studio at Kilby Pond worked directly with Kerry at Oakland Ready to Learn

“It is a great privilege for Bring Me A Book to be a children’s literacy partner and program collaborator with Oakland Ready To Learn. We have worked together the past two years as partners in successfully completing an Oakland early childhood literacy project funded by a $300,000 grant from the Oakland Fund for Children and Youth."
November 2009, Donovan Cook