School Readiness Act of 2005
SCHOOL READINESS ACT OF 2005 -- (House of Representatives - September 22, 2005)
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Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Chairman, for four decades, Head Start has provided comprehensive child development, literacy, family services to more than 18 million preschoolers from low-income and working poor families. It is a proven success. Head Start graduates are less likely to need special education services, to be held back a grade, or to get in trouble with the law. They are more likely to go on to college and to have professional careers. It is unquestionably the most effective early childhood development program ever developed.
For all the program's success, we know that even the best teachers struggle with overwhelming class sizes, particularly with young children, and Head Start's 10 to 1 ratio of students to teachers in the classroom presents clear challenges in helping Head Start children gain the cognitive skills other children have.
That is why this amendment, allowing Head Start centers to recruit and train college students as mentors, reading mentors for preschool children, is so needed.
We all know the benefits of mentoring, whether it is after school, on weekends, or during the school day, mentoring programs change young peoples' lives. There is a proven link between mentoring and reduced substance abuse later in life and improved academic achievement.
And of course the benefits of mentoring are mutual. Some of the college student mentors in this initiative will even become Head Start teachers themselves some day. That is what we have seen in one program which deploys 2,100 college students who devote 15 hours per week during the school year to mentor Head Start students. That program is also a proven success.
I want to be clear, my amendment would not replace the specialized work of Head Start teachers. There is no substitute for the work of a qualified, trained teacher, nor would anything in this amendment require local Head Start centers to offer mentoring programs.
Head Start grantees would have the chance whether or not to start a mentoring program for Head Start children. Mr. Chairman, with this amendment we are simply seeking to supplement the remarkable work of our Head Start teachers in a way that allows for children to learn at their optimum capacity.
It allows Head Start teachers to make the greatest impact possible. And that is why I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.
Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
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Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Chairman, in closing, let me just say that I am excited about the opportunity for this amendment, because I think that we can create a partnership with the Head Start program and with our college students. And the beneficiaries are our youngsters.
And we give an opportunity to college students to be stakeholders in an education process. It keeps them involved in their community. It keeps them involved in public life. And they have so much to offer and to give, and then couple that with the tremendous work of the Head Start teachers.
So with that, I would urge my colleagues to support this amendment.
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