Proponents of universal federal preschool are uniting behind the Strong Start for America’s Children Act, cosponsored by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and Rep. George Miller (D-Calif). The legislation would create a federal preschool program for all four-year-old children from low- to moderate-income families in the country.
Heritage estimates the program would cost federal taxpayers $26.8 billion over the first five years, not taking into account state matching funds. Are the billions worth it for the results? After all, Head Start impact studies have shown “little or no net lasting benefit to federal pre-K.”
That hasn’t stopped teachers and parents from using children as props to argue for yet another expensive early learning experiment.
http://twitter.com/#!/IAFC_Cares/status/425692941680533504 http://twitter.com/#!/parentchildhome/status/425700343519797249 http://twitter.com/#!/TheCentersOhio/status/426436799834382336At last year’s State of the Union address, President Obama stressed the importance of reaching children “at the earliest possible age.”
http://twitter.com/#!/WK_Kellogg_Fdn/status/427900238788317184We’re guessing the president will bring up #StrongStart in Tuesday’s address — after all, it’s “a moldy oldie of the progressive left” that seems immune to studies showing it doesn’t work.