Washington, D.C. —- Congressman G. K. Butterfield applauded the approval of legislative language that would allow the Teach For America program to expand into Head Start.
“We have a very difficult time recruiting and retaining teachers for our youngest students in eastern North Carolina,” Butterfield said. “This change provides an enormous opportunity to help fill a void.”
In July, Butterfield wrote to Sen. Ted Kennedy, Chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee, asking that a provision be included in the Head Start reauthorization legislation to allow Teach For America (TFA) participants to serve in Head Start classrooms. The Conference Committee adopted the provision and its report was approved by the House today.
TFA is an extremely competitive national service program that recruits outstanding recent college graduates to teach for two years in some of the nation’s most underperforming school districts. This year, TFA placed more than 5,000 teachers across the country, including nearly 150 in eastern North Carolina.
Butterfield said there is a great need for help in eastern North Carolina’s schools, especially for economically disadvantaged children. Across the state only about 50% of economically disadvantaged student passed the state’s end-of-year exams in the 2006-07 school year compared to 77% of student who do not live in poverty. And, Butterfield said, the numbers are even more troubling for large numbers of economically disadvantaged students living in eastern North Carolina.
For example, the percent of economically disadvantaged students passing the end-of-year exams in Halifax County is 35.7%; in Washington, 36.4%; in Pasquotank, 40%; in Granville, 40.3%; in Warren, 41.7%; in Pitt, 41.9; in Nash, 42.9; in Edgecombe, 43.4%; in Wayne, 44.6%; and, in Martin, 45.8%.
Butterfield said that this is an important improvement to Head Start, which has been the nation’s premiere early childhood education program for more than 40 years. He said that more than 20 million children and families have benefited from the program and it remains a cornerstone in the efforts to close the achievement gap, combat poverty, and provide all Americans with the opportunity to thrive.
Butterfield said the bipartisan reauthorization legislation improves teacher and classroom quality, strengthens Head Start’s focus on school readiness, expands access to Head Start for more children, ensures that centers are well-run, boosts coordination between Head Start and state and local programs and improves comprehensive services that help children by helping their families.
The text of the provision follows:
SEC. 18. STAFF QUALIFICATIONS AND DEVELOPMENT.
Section 648A of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9843a) is amended–
`(D) a baccalaureate and has been admitted into the Teach For America program, passed a rigorous early childhood content exam, such as the Praxis II, participated in a Teach For America summer training institute that includes teaching preschool children, and is receiving ongoing professional development and support from Teach For America’s professional staff.’, and