Edward Dodd: “I rise today in strong support of the amendment offered by Senator Bond to include the Parents as Teachers Program in…”

“I rise today in strong support of the amendment offered by Senator Bond to include the Parents as Teachers Program in the Goals 2000 legislation, and I commend the Senator from Missouri for his leadership in moving this important program forward. Goals 2000 establishes in law our national education goals. The first of these goals calls for all children in America to start school ready to learn by the year 2000. It is astonishing that this is still a goal rather than a reality for a country as wealthy as ours. Even more astonishing is the fact that it is a goal we are far from achieving. The national goals panel reported last year that just over half of all 3- to 5-year-olds attend preschool and that only 53 percent are read to each day. In addition, the panel reported that only 37 percent of 2-year-olds are immunized against major childhood disease. These are serious obstacles we must overcome if we ever hope to make a difference in our schools. But the route to school readiness is no mystery--we have proven models that have been successful in preparing children for school. The Parents as Teachers Program is one of the best of those.”