Congress Sends Head Start Bill to President
Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter joined Congressional leaders this morning for a formal ceremony to send the Head Start reauthorization bill to the President. The Improving Head Start of School Readiness Act passed the House and Senate last month with strong bipartisan majorities, and the President is expected to sign the bill into law.
"This is an example of bipartisanship at its best," said Congresswoman Shea-Porter. "Congress turned its attention to the needy children of this country and brightened their future."
As a member of the House Education and Labor Committee, Congresswoman Shea-Porter has taken an active role in helping to reauthorize Head Start. She was also appointed to serve on the conference committee that negotiated the final version of the bill between the House and the Senate. Although authorization for the program expired in 2003, neither of the past two Congresses passed a reauthorization bill.
Head Start has been the premiere early childhood education program in the United States for more than forty years, serving more than twenty million children and families. The program helps prepare low-income children with the skills they will need to be successful once they enter school.
The reauthorization bill passed by Congress will improve the Head Start program by setting new standards for teacher qualification. It will also target resources to increase teacher salaries and promote professional development.
For more information about H.R. 1429 - Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007, visit: http://edlabor.house.gov/publications/20071108HeadStartSummary.pdf