Abstract

Spanking Head Start

The author criticizes moves by the Bush administration to change the Head Start preschool program. Used to be, nearly everyone Democrat or Republican loved Head Start, the federal preschool program for kids from low income families. And why not? It's one of the most successful government programs of the past forty years. Those familiar with Head Start attribute its effectiveness to just how comprehensive it is. A child in Head Start benefits not only from time in the classroom but also from required parental involvement, healthcare screenings and follow-ups (including vaccinations and dental care), nutritious meals and help with special needs. Head Start is one of the few federal programs that aim for equality among the socioeconomic classes. Supporting it was a way for politicians of any stripe to declare their commitment to those they saw as the most deserving poor: children. That's all changed. If George W. Bush and like-minded conservatives have their druthers, the program will be the subject of a huge educational experiment, involving state control and a shift to pure academics. This fall, Congress will decide the fate of Head Start. While Head Start grads are not scoring as well as their more affluent counterparts, they do score higher than kids who come from the same socioeconomic background but who didn't participate in Head Start. Simply put, the program works. The truth is, there's nothing much wrong with Head Start except that it reaches only 60 percent of kids eligible for it. Like all programs, it probably could use some tinkering to be more effective. But dismantling it is not the answer.