Report Says Head Start Children are Inadequately Prepared for School

GOPUSA ^ | June 10, 2003 | Jeremy Reynalds - Talon News

[yoe]

The whole concept is still day-care, play-school not a place for young children to learn anything beyond getting along. Reading to a child "three times" a week is nice by hardly the leg up these children are looking for. Restructure the entire concept and put teachers, student teachers in charge – not so many unemployed mothers. And don’t anyone suggest more money – the program is heavily endowed now with federal funds. If those funds aren’t reaching the programs, then someone had better start investigating.

[Conspiracy Guy]

Change the name to simply, "Start".

[Diver Dave]

The report concludes that the 38-year-old program "is not eliminating the gap in educational skills and knowledge needed for school."

It's taken 38 years to come to this conclusion? Duh!

[camle]

the more we rely upon government funded part time child rearing, the more our kids fail. The more money we give them, the more we wonder why.

actually, we do know the reason - these programs advocate parental abdication of parental roles to the government.

[Semper Paratus]

When I ask liberals to name an effective Federal program, Head Start is always the answer.

[RicocheT]

Head Start began with the usual good intentions. It rapidly dumbed down to a day care with lunch & snack program. At this level, it's a darn expensive way to get the kids out of mama's hair.

If Head Start is to continue to get our tax dollars, it should be made to have real value for the kids by setting some meaningful education standards.

[RAT Patrol]

As someone who taught Sunday School to pre-schoolers for a number of years, I can tell you that a pre-K's world revolves around mommy and daddy. If that's a secure issue, the kid can manage in class (although there is always a separation issue to some extent). Their learning is totally tied to their emotional self at that age. Their emotions are tied to their families. To some extent, a kid without a solid family foundation is like a flower without adequate sunshine. It just cannot grow as well. There is no substitute, at least not early. The compensation is far more achievable later. That's my personal observation.

On that note, I think our tax dollars would be better spent -- if we must get involved -- by paying a person to love the kid (hugs, conversation, etc..). Can you do that? Because that's what they need.

[T Minus Four]

...the 38-year-old program...

Great Scott, the first kids in this program are in their forties, and they're just now figuring out the program is inadequate?!

[RightWhale]

Trouble in the State Nursery?

[goodnesswins]

Get the GOVERNMENT OUT of Head Start.....get the Churches in it....then see what happens.

[Jakarta ex-pat]

"the more we rely upon government funded part time child rearing, the more our kids fail."

I'm not convinced.

I was brought up in "rural" England, where I was exposed to a fine "government" funded education.

In fact, I doubt I could have gone to school otherwise.

I will defer that my "education" was family orientated.

However, I had teachers, of which who kicked arse.

Yes, there was little "diversity". But still, they kicked arse.

In conclusion............?

[fml]

LOL. They could now be teaching in a head start class room.

[RAT Patrol]

Do you think that applies to 3 year olds though?

[Jakarta ex-pat]

Head start children have only one way.

Through their parents.

Apologies if this doesn't answer your question.

[jimt]

They seem to be dithering all around the point that the problem with these children is their parents. Too many of these kids come from "single parent" families - ones where some idiot has gotten pregnant from an irresponsible sperm donor. These "single parents" can't even properly take care of themselves, let alone a child. The poor bastard loses out every time.

The others not from "single parent families" come from those where the parents are too ignorant and poor to provide a decent environment, and too perverse to consider that bringing a child into such an environment is child abuse, pure and simple.

If these kids were to be given a real "head start", they'd be adopted out to real families and the "mother" and "father" somehow cajoled into not producing any kids that can't be cared for.

Head Start doesn't have ANY effect after these kids have been in school for a while. Because they're still living in a toilet.

[CIBvet]

Seems pretty obvious to me ... bring decent paying (manufacturing) jobs back to the U.S. so that that the average American father can once again bring home a family-supportive paycheck on Friday night and keep Americas families together. Then and only then will American Moms be able to choose to stay at home and do the job that Moms do best ... love and nurture a healthy family.

But Nooooooooo, the Globaloney-ists have put together a real 'Free Trade MONEY-PUMP' and they could care less about the obvious economic decline of our nation, and it's devastating effect upon the very foundation of American Society, the Family. All because they're just too busy raking in the big $$$, and they're too myopic to see how this could EVER negatively effect them or theirs.

They are part of the ' THE I'VE GOT MINE CLUB' (so screw the rest of those little people') .... sooo selfish and greedy, sooo arrogant, and they will eventually find out, sooo wrong.

[RAT Patrol]

I agree. I also agree that public education has the potential of being highly effective, as does nearly every educational alternative. I don't think it matters how you learn. The problem in the U.S. is that public education has become an arm of the democratic party. They are more intested in pushing liberal ideology and funneling tax dollars to their friends than they are in educating kids. That's how it looks to me anyway.

I do not pretend to be anyone's educational success story. Nor do I claim to have all the answers. But I have lived long enough to observe a few truths about how kids learn.

[Howlin]

and those who have been in the program still enter kindergarten lagging far behind the typical American child in skills needed for school readiness.

So where were these "typical American children" that were NOT in Head Start? Is there a group out there that is NOT in Head Start, but is STILL ahead of the Head Start group?

Who are they?

[Old Professer]

This is not news to the Silk Purse Guild.

[RAT Patrol]

Good question. I think they mean everyone else. That's the way I took it. In a battle of readiness, Head Start participants lose to non-participants. That's pretty damning, imo.