ExchangeEveryDay Past Issues

Hello,
Child friend , Head start is not a true programme . Through Head Start a successful programme cannot be held . It is not possible for development for all round .

Do people even pay for headstart? If it is a free program? If so it is only a free babysitting program. How about these moms stay home and raise their children. Children need to learn trust, comfort and love at this young age. Their brains are not ready to 'learn the alphabet' or tell time. How do I know this? I have been a preschool teacher for 17 years.

I have been a part of our local Head Start program for seventeen years. I started as a parent volunteer and am now the Director of our program. I can personally say that I would not have pursued further education had it not been for the opportunities that were afforded me through the Head Start program. I am appalled each time I read an article such as that written by Mr. Klein. Our Head Start Program has four out of five of our locations accredited through the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and we were one of the first programs in our state to participate in the STAR's for Kids Now Quaility Initiative program and three of our five centers are Level IV centers, the highest level attainable. One of the very first concepts I remember being taught about in the Child Development Associate (CDA) class I attended was stereotyping.
For those who aren't familiar with this term I offer this explanation:

Stereotypes are generalizations about a group of people (Head Start programs) whereby we attribute a defined set of characteristics to this group (being described as a failing program) . These classifications can be positive or negative, such as when various nationalities are stereotyped as friendly or unfriendly.Stereotypes are generalizations, or assumptions, that people make about the characteristics of all members of a group, based on an image (often wrong) about what people in that group are like. (Are all Head Start programs failing? I have given just one example above of a quality program that I am proud to say I am a part of). For example, one study of stereotypes revealed that Americans are generally considered to be friendly, generous, and tolerant, but also arrogant, impatient, and domineering. Asians, on the other hand, were expected to be shrewd and alert, but reserved. Clearly, not all Americans are friendly and generous; and not all Asians are shrewd. If you assume you know what a person is like, and don't look at each person as an individual, you are likely to make errors in your estimates of a person's character. (Just as errors are being made about Head Start. There are some specific programs that aren't performing to parr just as there are some public school systems who are shamelessly failing our children and these school systems continue to be funded year after year with the same administration that has run the system into the ground.) There are Head Start programs that are producing desired outcomes and there are some that are not. To assume that Head Start program budgets are "overstuffed" is ludicrous and I would like to know where people are getting that information. Head Start has been "flat-funded" for the past several years and any one that has any finance background at all knows that when you are "flat funded" you are actually experiencing a budget reduction because when the costs of insurances, diesel fuel, building maintenance, vehicle maintenance and utilities continue to rise and your budget remains the same you have to "find" the finances somewhere to offset your deficit. I know that Head Start does work. There are so many variables to these statistical studies such as FACES. The reality is I have seen children in our communities who came into our program scared, hungry, reluctant to speak, in need of immunizations, in need of dental care and hesitant to participate in activities--- develop into four year olds who walked across the stage on "Graduation Day", shake the Executive Director's hand and proudly accept their certificate certifying that they have completed two years in the Head Start program. When these children go on to "big school" their personal environments go with them. Some live in homes of drug addicted family members, some live with aunts/uncles or grandma and grandpa because their parents are incarcerated. I take pride in the fact that for six hours a day, 10 months out of the year these children born into these "unfair" cirumstances have a nutritious breakfast, lunch and evening snack, are provided needed special education services, receive health and dental care that is needed and are shown unconditional love in a safe, healthy learning environment. I can tell you that Head Start works.
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_does_mean_the_stereotype_of_the_stereotypes#ixzz1S7kD3MV

If children who attend Head Start match their peers in the early primary grades then we could argue that the program is successful. We might ask a different question; i.e, what happenes when these same children arrive in public schools? What supports are available? I do not believe that the mission of Head Start was to exceed the "achievement" of peers in school but to promote readiness on an equal footing. Public schools face their own issues and "attacking" Head Start is not a solution.
There is still a gap in the preparation of Head Start teachers and public school teachers that needs to be addressed. Early Childhood teachers are seriously undercompensated and often leave for higer wages. How will our government take action to remediate this situation? What will take the place of Head Start comprehensive services if the program is dismantled in the guise of relieving the federal deficit? Children are not a commodity to be exchanged for money.

After 37 years as an independent operator in the child care industry, I feel I can speak to this debate with some validity. Head Start, just like so many other "government" programs, has been a run-away-train and a drain on public funds for years. A great idea in it's time, and one that did help catapult a lot of issues concerning low income children and the importance of early education into the limelight - it quickly became a money pit. In it's effort for a quick fix to a mounting problem, the powers-that-be didn't even look at an infra-structure that had been in place and doing a good job since WWII - private child care. Instead of embrasing what was already there and offering us some help (free staff training, tax incentives for improved programs, low-interest loans to make physical improvments in our facilities, etc), they started Head Start! If it is doing such a good job - why do we now have pre-school for supposedly low-income families in Public School?!?
Again, they have left the private sector out of the picture, yet continue to tax us to death, and increase regulations & restrictions on us that don't even make sence and that none of the "government" programs have to abide by? Oh yes, and we have CCMS - where the government "allows" the private sector to take low-income children into our care at only 1/2 of what it costs us to care for them - and we are supposed to be greatful! But that is a whole other subject that I could write a book on!
Huge amounts of money have been poured into Head Start, but as is typical of any government run program, there has been no to very little accountability. One of many personal experiences that back this up - a Head Start program in Midland, informed that they were getting all new equipment for their building and that they were to dump everything,even when the Director told them they didn't need anything, all of their equipment was in great shape -it didn't matter, dump it - do not sell it or even give it away - "dump" it! When asked why, he was told we have excess money in our budget and if we don't use it, they will cut our budget next year! Another incident in Dallas - all upper management were treated to a posh spa week-end and a large bonus, just because they had excess money in the budget that had to be used up or lost! The Head Starts that I have personal knowledge of do NOT work under the same restraints or restrictions that I do and have pretty much limitless funds for staffing, training, building improvements/repairs, etc.
As business owners and tax payers we are acutely aware of making every penny count. In fact, my whole operating philosophy is based on "you watch the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves" - obviously not one the "government" has ever heard of! Most of us in the private sector are in this business to help children and families - no matter what the cost to us physically or financially. We spend every cent wisely and always to the benefit of our children, staff and programs.
As you can see, I have a soap-box to stand on when it comes to government waste - and in my estimation - Head Start has served its time, and it's time should be over.