Massachusetts families this week are beginning to send their kids back to school, but for an estimated 2,015 pre-school students, there is no back to school.
That’s because federal budget cuts have curtailed the number of Head Start slots.
Meanwhile, other cuts in education are taking place all across the state, from teacher aides to programs that serve disadvantaged youth and more.
I believe that every child deserves a fair shot in life and that starts with a quality education.
Head Start, for example, helps disadvantaged kids prepare for kindergarten. It has a great track record of boosting kids performance, and actually saves us money in the long run because the students perform better, require less special education and other additional services, and earn more when they enter the work force.
As Congress debates the budget over the next few weeks, we need to make sure they restore Head Start funding all and stand up for kids.