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REPUBLICANS BACKING OFF ON HEAD START CHANGES

The New York Times (June 10, 2003) reported that House Republicans, facing intense criticism as they attempt to reshape the Head Start program, appear to be backing off on some of the more controversial changes. Most notably, the GOP may remove the provision from the current measure that opened the way for states to take over the federal program. According to Delaware Republican Michael Castle, who sponsored the Head Start rewrite, "The Head Start providers have lobbied it very well, and we are making these accommodations."

This legislation has received a great deal of White House attention in recent weeks:

* On May 8, Windy Hill, the Associate Commissioner of the Head Start Bureau at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, attempted to slow the opposition by sending a letter to Head Start staff and parents stating that any lobbying or advocacy that they might engage in would violate conditions of their funding and national law. Head Start advocates decried this warning as blatant intimidation.

* On June 9, the administration released a report claiming that Head Start attendees lag behind average students in reading and math skills. Commenting on the report Representative Castle observed that Head Start students "are just not getting academically to the level of other children." Head Start advocates criticized the report for not comparing Head Start children with similar low-income children not enrolled in Head Start, and called the report a last-ditch attempt to salvage Castle's controversial bill.

For more information on the House proposal, go to http://edworkforce.house.gov.

For information about the campaign to maintain Head Start, go to: www.SaveHeadStart.org.

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