Return-Path: <nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id h6BCeCC29372; Fri, 11 Jul 2003 08:40:12 -0400 (EDT) Date: Fri, 11 Jul 2003 08:40:12 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <3F0E7721.26526.4BBAFA@localhost> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: kmccook@tampabay.rr.com To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-POVRACELIT:1194] Smoke and Mirrors on Head Start X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-description: Mail message body Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Status: RO Content-Length: 2552 Lines: 68 July 11, 2003 Smoke and Mirrors on Head Start The Bush administration has mastered the art of producing speeches and press releases that bear little resemblance to the legislative programs they purport to describe. This tactic was on display again earlier this week in Mr. Bush's speech on Head Start, the highly successful federal education program that embraces poor families and prepares underprivileged 3- and 4-year-olds for school. The president spoke earnestly about improving Head Start's academic components while preventing the states from siphoning off its federal dollars for other, less crucial purposes. But the Head Start bill that is likely to be passed by the House would soon fall short of these goals on several fronts and would actually allow the states to weaken this valuable program, which serves about a million impoverished children. The federal government finances Head Start directly, bypassing state governments, which might be tempted to use the money for other purposes. The House bill includes an experiment in which up to eight states would receive Head Start money in block grants subject to the governors' control. This block grant approach has loopholes that the president either does not understand or fails to acknowledge. The statute bars governors from moving state funds out of early childhood education but fails to mention federal funds. That means the states could drain federal money from other early childhood education programs as money comes into their Head Start funds. The worst aspect of this approach is that it exempts the experimenting states from complying with current federal Head Start standards and allows them to proceed without proving that they are presenting high-quality programs. Mr. Bush is right about the importance of renovating the Head Start teacher corps. The House bill would do just that by requiring that at least half of the Head Start teachers have four-year college degrees by 2008. But this provision is meaningless unless the White House and Congress come up with the estimated $2 billion needed to attract and pay better- qualified teachers. The House's Head Start bill has generated outrage among children's advocates all across the political spectrum as well as in the Senate, which is unlikely to take up this issue before fall. It should keep the good parts of the House bill and jettison those that undermine this valuable program. Copyright 2003 The New York Times Company | Home | Privacy Policy | Search | Corrections | Help | Back to Top
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