Political Quotes

“let me commence by first of all thanking the distinguished chairman of the committee, Senator Kennedy, for once again his extremely valuable leadership on this issue and its many components, the most important of which may be the extension of Head Start to infants and toddlers zero to 3. In fact, today the Subcommittee on Children and Families held a hearing on the Elementary and Secondary Education Act focusing on a transition period for Head Start into regular school, taking some of the very valuable concepts of Head Start and trying to extend them into the normal school process of young children. It was noted that in Head Start programs roughly 60 percent of the parents participate, and yet in kindergarten, the very next year, that percentage of parental involvement drops to about 23 percent. And we all appreciate the value of parental involvement in children's education. What the Senator from Massachusetts is suggesting here is that even in the earlier stages Head Start can make a substantial difference in a child's life. We need to extend the lessons of Head Start both upward and downward.”