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from the June
16, 2003 edition of the Christian Science Monitor -
http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/0616/p08s02-comv.html
Since 1965, the federal Head Start program has helped preschoolers in poor
and at-risk families get an educational leg up. Originally part of
President Johnson's War on Poverty, Head Start now has a yearly budget of
nearly $7 billion, and it assists nearly 1 million children.
Yet it reaches only about half of the kids it should, according to
studies. And Head Start children still enter school with lower math and
verbal skills than more-affluent pupils, and continue to lag throughout
their school years.
Based on that reasoning, the Bush administration argues that states can
better determine how best to help needy kids and hold local Head Start
programs more accountable, using federal block grants.
A GOP bill in Congress, sponsored by Rep. Mike Castle (R) of Delaware,
extends the Head Start program five years and adds $203 million more than
the current funding for next year. Further, qualifying states can
coordinate Head Start programs with their own early-childhood programs if
they promise not to cut their own funding for early childhood education.
The bill also sets higher standards for measuring Head Start teachers and
what they teach than what's required now. All Head Start teachers will
need at least a bachelor's degree by 2008.
These are welcome improvements that allow states to experiment with new
ideas and stand to strengthen Head Start.
But opponents, many of whom have a stake in the current federal way of
running Head Start, charge the bill would lead to a dismantling of the
program. They doubt many of the states' ability to maintain the service.
The National Head Start Association has even filed a lawsuit claiming the
administration used "scare tactics" to stifle criticism of the proposed
overhaul by Head Start providers.
Such outcry is overblown, although it has caused Representative Castle to
amend his bill. Under the new version, only eight states would initially
qualify to carry on Head Start on their own.
Such a limited pilot should prove a useful experiment to find better ways
to make Head Start work better. At the least, it can show how a better
coordinated effort to help at-risk kids can eliminate the patchwork
approach too prevalent today.
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