CSPAN Thursday morning - Waters vs. Castle on Head Start

[prolesunited]

Debating Head Start. I love Maxine Waters! She is really trouncing Castle, who is asserting that the program doesn't work. Yeah, we're going to trust rich, white Republicans do what is in the best interest of poor and minority children. :eyes:

[greyl]

1. Hi :) nt

[prolesunited]

2. Debate points

Here's the RW spin, courtesy of Fox and Heritage Foundation

Head Start Needs Reform, Not More Money
You can tell by President Bush's proposal to reform Head Start (search) that, even after two years in office, he still doesn't get it. He still seems to think those who receive government money should have something to show for it.

What three full decades of research by the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the program, has shown is that some of the children who participate in Head Start see no academic improvement. Others show marginal improvement, but even their gains disappear after four years. And these are kids who need help.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,91859,00.html

Some children see no gains -- How many is "some" and wouldn't you have a few kids for a variety of reasons not make progress no matter what the environment. As far as the gains disappearing, that is an indictment of the public school system, not Head Start. They are going from a safe, nurturing environment into overcrowded classrooms with fewer mandates for parental involvement.


Please take a minute to join this TrueMajority campaign to save Head Start.

Don't Let Bush Dismantle Head Start

America is at its best when we care for each other, especially our most vulnerable fellow citizens. That's why it's so shameful that our government is giving huge tax breaks to millionaires but failing to provide our poorest kids with the basics, like Head Start. And just this week President Bush announced, in the name of "improving" Head Start, that he wants to begin dismantling this under-funded program.
http://www.truemajority.com/index.asp?action=10042&ms=hdstgo

[prolesunited]

3. Please sign the petition

They start debate on this next week. This is one of the few War on Poverty programs they haven't yet been able to dismantle. Don't let them kill this one, too.