Funding for Head Start

Re “Putting Politics Over Preschool,” Commentary, Aug. 9:

Kay Mills misses the point by a wide mark. While politics and pork can certainly be disdained, the real problem is the Head Start program itself.

We are spending $4.3 billion a year on a program that has never, in its 33-year history, shown itself to be effective in improving the lives of the children it purports to serve. To the contrary, many comprehensive studies have proven that children who have gone through Head Start have, on the average, exactly the same test scores and abilities as non-Head Start children by the time the children leave the primary grades.

Contrary to Mills’ assertion that funding be increased so that more children can be “served,” it would appear that the bureaucrats and politicians are the only ones being served. Clearly, Head Start is a pork barrel project in its own right.

PHILIP J. TERHORST

Bellflower

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As a kindergarten teacher of 27 years, recently retired, I felt compelled to respond to your Aug. 6 editorial. Head Start has been on the campus of my former school for many years. In that time, the children received from their program into kindergarten have demonstrated a marked improvement of social skills, as opposed to those who had no preschool experience.

However, I observed that the bilingual teachers spoke primarily Spanish to the children from the time they exited the buses, while walking to class, on the playground and while visiting the kindergarten classes. Consequently, these children were not prepared for kindergarten teachers speaking only English. What a shame. Also, competence in basic skills was sadly lacking, regardless of the language spoken.

Keep the Head Start program, improve the accountability, and the children will be the winners.

MICHELLE SMITH

Yorba Linda