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Fixing Head Start
August 1, 2014
We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.
-Plato
-Plato
Over the five decades Head Start has served young children, there have been numerous attempts to close down, block grant, privatize, and reform the program. Yasmina Vinci, the Executive Director of the National Head Start Association, responded to recent attempts to "fix" Head Start with an op ed, "Head Start: A Durable Design for Early Learning," in the Huffington Post. In concluding this piece she remarked...
"Head Start's 50th Anniversary (Spring of 2015), combined with the states' new enthusiasm for state-run pre-Kindergarten, have touched off a flurry of suggestions for improving and reforming Head Start. Unfortunately, the eager would-be-tinkerers have overlooked an essential element of the process of improvement: the local consumers and deliverers of the Head Start model. Somehow, suggestions for reform are being made in the absence of their rich knowledge, experience, and insight into how Head Start works in diverse communities around the country. Oops.
"Worse yet, in many cases, their premise that Head Start needs fixing is based not on an examination of the reality of today's vulnerable children, families, and communities (and yes, there are many improvements that should be contemplated to address that reality) but on a single study of questionable merit that has become an excuse for bashing Head Start. Or for offering to fix it.
"Today, any company that would decide to redesign a successful product without consulting its consumers would be smart to remember what happened to Coke when it decided to change its formula and introduce 'New Coke.' Likewise, Washington's policy wonks would be smart to consider what might happen to their policies when the rubber hits the road. The unintended consequences would affect generations of our most vulnerable children and families."
Third Edition
Since the first edition in 1987, Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs has been an essential resource for the early child childhood field. Fully revised and expanded, the third edition comes with a supplementary CD containing readings on key topics, plus video examples showing developmentally appropriate practice in action. Based on what the research says about development, learning, and effective practices, as well as what experience tells us about teaching intentionally, this book articulates the principles that should guide our decision making. Chapters describe children from birth through age 8 in detail, with extensive examples of appropriate practice for infant/toddler, preschool, kindergarten, and primary levels.
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Comments (3)
Displaying All 3 CommentsPaterson Public Scools
Verona, NJ, United States
The "Reform" movement, particularly those portions sourced in politics, the promise of profit, and newly-minted Ph.Ds with minimal experience in any thing but being manipulative wordsmiths, has already improved AND damaged the K12 system, increasing costs, stress, and insulting educators to an outrageous extent. Early childhood is next.
United States
Very well stated, Yasmina. Yes, state by state there are things to improve upon, but you have to look at the big picture. It is important, however, that those working in Head Start make sure they are working up to the established and well grounded principles of the program. If the principles are up held, that will remove the grounds for criticism.
United States
Good for her! It's about time that those of us involved in caring for and/or teaching children speak up for them. Those in Congress have no clue about what true teaching really is and all the factors that influence daily decisions made in any classroom setting.
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