Patsy T. Mink: “I have to respond to the gentleman that he has directed the question to someone who is not in full agreement with the…”

“I have to respond to the gentleman that he has directed the question to someone who is not in full agreement with the President on many of his education initiatives, and in this particular one I think grievous error and failure of recognizing the importance of such programs that did provide a transition from early childhood education into the regular school. There may have been programs with followthrough, but this is not follow-through. This is a new program which attempts to enlarge upon and expand the opportunities for at-risk children, and in fact I believe concurs with the President's Goals 2000 which says the No. 1 goal is that all children shall enter school ready to learn. That is really what this is all about. Why spend billions of dollars on Head Start with a comprehensive approach to education and then not have a program which affords extra support for transition in the at-risk school? We are not dictating policy. This is a voluntary approach which school districts are going to have the opportunity to avail themselves of. Only some of them may not like it, but I am sure in the gentleman's district as well as mine this opportunity to continue the advances and advantages of Head Start will be a very welcomed approach.”