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Click Here 43 °F Forecast | Road Cams Friday, January 30, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend April 18, 2003 Kendall Kaeser, 3, rolls out a pile of clay during free time at Head Start�s north Medford preschool. Program officials oppose a Bush administration plan to give states more control over Head Start funding, saying it could undermine services. Mail Tribune / Jim Craven Head Start supporters fear changes Many believe that the Bush administration’s plans would penalize low-income children who could benefit from preschooling By JONEL ALECCIA Mail Tribune Within the first week of enrolling in a Medford Head Start program, Marni Googe’s 3-year-old daughter could tie her own shoes. Within two weeks, the preschooler was writing her first name. Within months, she could proudly print her whole name: AnneMarie Googe. That was a striking contrast to Googe’s older son, now 8, who didn’t qualify for the program. "My son knew his alphabet but he was not writing his name or tying his shoes when he entered kindergarten," she said. Advertisement So a Bush administration plan to revamp Head Start scares Googe, who fears it will penalize other poor children. "I’m worried that these low-income kids are just not going to get any preschool," says Googe, 32, a single mother who works as a scheduler at Providence Medford Medical Center. "I’m worried they’re going to enter kindergarten like my 8-year-old did." Googe’s worries are shared by Head Start backers in Medford and across Oregon. They’ve joined a nationwide push this week to oppose the president’s plan, which would move the administration of Head Start to the Department of Education and allow states to control federal funding. "To us, it looks like a dismantling," said Alan Berlin, executive director of Southern Oregon Head Start. Bush’s plan, first released in February, calls for more state oversight, more focus on early academics such as letter recognition and literacy and more testing. Berlin and others fear that the plan will erode a 38-year-old program that provides social services as well as education to poor and disabled kids and their families. "Our services are like the legs of a table," Berlin said. "A table needs four legs to stand and a child needs comprehensive services to grow." In Southern Oregon, Head Start serves 930 children, from infants to preschoolers, with a budget of $9.25 million. About 90 percent of the children come from families that earn a maximum income of $18,400 annually for a family of four. Another 10 percent are disabled children from higher-income families. The administration’s plan has not yet been submitted to Congress, but it is expected to be considered in May, Berlin said. Administration officials said Bush wants to allow states the option of administering federal Head Start funds instead of sending the money directly to local sources. Berlin and others worry that cash-strapped states would divert that money to private preschool and other programs that don’t necessarily target poor and disabled children. At about $8,200 per student in Oregon, Head Start is expensive, Berlin said. "States would think they could educate middle-class kids more cheaply," Berlin said. "But that doesn’t meet the needs of all kids." Administration officials, however, have said opponents’ worries are exaggerated. They contend that the restructuring would allow continuity of education from preschool on, and would allow more children to be served. That doesn’t make sense to Anita McClanahan, director of early childhood education programs for the state Department of Education. Oregon already has a productive partnership with Head Start programs, she said. She worries that the Bush proposal lacks strong standards for performance or eligibility that could be misused. And she worries that it undermines the comprehensive services necessary to help prepare all children for school. "What we really need is more resources to expand Head Start," she said, "not to disintegrate the infra-structure built over 30 years." Berlin said national opposition to the plan may be forcing the Bush administration to back away from some elements of it. That’s good, he believes, in a nation already grappling with war and economic crises at home and abroad. "If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it," Berlin said. "Our kids go to school ready to learn." Reach reporter JoNel Aleccia at 776-4465, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S RESOURCES Oregon Road Conditions & Cams SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Food for Thought Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Prime Times