Welcome to Atlanta, Mr. President. Now about pre-k . . .
President Barack Obama is expected in Atlanta today, to pitch a problem to a solution.
No, I don’t have that backward.
The president’s planned visit today to a Decatur pre-k school comes on the heels of his lauding Georgia’s preschool program during his State of the Union address Tuesday night. He wants to use it as a model for a federal effort “to make high-quality preschool available to every child in America.”
While I join Obama in applauding educational innovation in the states, I can think only of reasons a federal preschool program is a bad idea. Not least is the fact that the existing federal preschool program, Head Start, has been declared a failure by the very agency that administers it.
Head Start, a program for low-income children, has been around since 1965. But three years ago, after four and a half decades and $166 billion spent on the program, the Department of Health and Human Services concluded first-graders who had been in Head Start held virtually no advantage over their peers who hadn’t.
It’s an expensive failure, costing more than $7.5 billion per year to serve fewer than 1 million kids. At $7,838, Head Start’s cost per student in 2011 nearly doubled the $4,302 Georgia spent on each pre-k student that year.
But if Georgia is getting better results at roughly half the price, shouldn’t we want to see its model copied in other states?
Maybe so. Or maybe other states have different needs. Either way, they won’t match our success — and we won’t maintain it — if the feds take over pre-k.
As U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss put it to me last month: “There are too many people in Washington who are entrenched in the idea that if the federal government’s going to be involved in a program, we need to control it. And the way you control it is with money.”
Chambliss was talking about obstacles to devolving federal programs such as k-12 education and Medicaid to the states. But this fact of life in Washington is also a certain preview of how pre-k will turn out if it’s federalized.
There will be money, but also strings: regulations, stipulations, expectations. Even in Georgia the program won’t look like it does now, because the feds will craft policies for Savannah and Seattle, and everywhere in between. Successive agency heads for the program will want to put their stamps on it, if only to justify their jobs and budgets.
And, as clearly as Georgia’s elected leaders should see this coming, they’ll be hard-pressed to avoid it. The money will be too hard to pass up.
Georgia spends about one-third of its lottery proceeds on pre-k, about $312.4 million in next year’s projected revenues. The rest goes to the HOPE scholarship. How tempting will it be for a Georgia governor one day, if the value of HOPE continues to shrink relative to the cost of tuition, to take the federal pre-k dollars and devote all lottery revenues to college students?
But it will be fool’s gold, and not only because there’s no such thing as “free money” from the feds since taxpayers foot the bill sooner or later.
There’s also this: Those folks who rate government programs chiefly by how much money we spend on them will declare this a good deal — at first. Eventually, though, they’ll bemoan the falling quality of pre-k in Georgia and beseech Atlanta or Washington to cough up more money so that it can regain the effectiveness it once had … back when it was a cheaper, state-run program.
Washington this year is projected to borrow $7 billion (almost the annual cost of Head Start) every three days. Yet, Democrats and some Republicans are wringing their hands about the so-called sequester budget cuts that would trim that figure by barely one-tenth. So, you’d think this is exactly the wrong time for the feds to take on yet another role the states have proven themselves capable of handling.
That Obama is holding up Georgia’s pre-k program as a reason for Washington to get more involved in pre-k, rather than as evidence the states can handle more roles the feds can’t afford, shows just how backward he has it.
– By Kyle Wingfield
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418 comments Add your comment
Jefferson
February 14th, 2013
11:18 am
Simply fix the fed program.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
February 14th, 2013
11:18 am
Liberals don’t want debate, Rafe. They just want control.
Thulsa Doom
February 14th, 2013
11:21 am
Mary Elizabeth,
I took the time to read your essay. Sounds to me like what my sister already does. She breaks her class into several groups and works with the different groups at their particular instructional levels.
“Practically every educational article that I have read has confirmed a strong causal relationship between poverty and the lack of academic success.”
Then you need to broaden your horizons and read articles other than from a left leaning educational perspective. Read some basic history or perhaps some studies of different cultures. History disagrees with you on this subject and the everyday evidence right before our very eyes also disagrees with you.
beanster
February 14th, 2013
11:22 am
10:13 a.m. is spot on. In addition to Ben Carson, I’d offer Thomas Sowell as an example of one who defied the argument that poverty equals poor academic achievement.
Trillion dollar deficits and some believe there’s no problem spending more money that we don’t have on pre-k nonetheless? Are there not more important issues we face today other than “investment” that is at least a 20 year payback, assuming it works, which is highly questionable at the very least? At what percent of our GDP do we begin to become concerned about our debt? When does the rest of the world begin to lose confidence in the good ol USA? If we’re so sure of Keynesian theory, why tax anyone at all? Why not print millions for every household? Problem solved?
Thulsa Doom
February 14th, 2013
11:31 am
“Ever visit a place where a child comes home to where the mother is cracked out or they live with an elderly sibling or an old tired out grandmother???”
Sailfish,
Thank you for making my point. Because your comment there ties right back in with what I was saying about culture.
“If you really think that a program like head start doesn’t positively help that child, then nothing will break through your concrete ideology.”
Speaking of concrete ideology it appears you’re the one who simply dismisses the evidence if it doesn’t fit your pre-conceived narrative. As it plainly states in the article the Health and Human services report itself states very clearly that whatever gains may be made by Head start are wiped out by the 1st grade I think it was. Either you simply chose to ignore that part of the report or you cannot understand a fact when it is presented to you. Fact immunity disorder is what I call it. Its a psychological disorder that liberals have where facts just don’t matter.
If there is no concrete advancement that sticks with the kids through grade school then the reality is what it is. And that reality is that Head start is possibly nothing more than a baby sitting program for parents to lazy to watch after their own kids.
Mary Elizabeth
February 14th, 2013
11:32 am
For readers, below is an assessment, done in 2006, which demonstrates that poverty is causally related to lack of academic success.
—————————————————————————————–
Two of the three major international tests—the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study and the Trends in International Math and Science Study—break down student scores according to the poverty rate in each school. The tests are given every five years.
The most recent results (2006) showed the following: students in U.S. schools where the poverty rate was less than 10 percent ranked first in reading, first in science, and third in math. When the poverty rate was 10 percent to 25 percent, U.S. students still ranked first in reading and science.
But as the poverty rate rose still higher, students ranked lower and lower. Twenty percent of all U.S. schools have poverty rates over 75 percent. The average ranking of American students reflects this. .
————————————————————————
Those Americans in poverty increased from 31 million to 46 million within the decade from 2000 to 2010
Aquagirl
February 14th, 2013
11:36 am
other than a few parasite, takers, and leeches comments, which you may take as racial,
Well golly, I don’t know why we’d take comments like this as racial:
“it would be nice to see more minorities support the Republican Party. But if the freebies aren’t forthcoming from the R’s (FREE healthcare, FREE smartphones, FREE ID cards, FREE EBT cards) forget it.”
Or would you prefer zeke’s “Blacks and other minorities, IF THEY WOULD ONLY LOOK WITH A LITTLE INTELLIGENCE AT THE DIFFERENCES”
And then there’s the classic “All these so-called minority groups band together to vote Democrat. Each seperate group are self absorbed, entitled zombies.”
Put that in your oh-so-offended pipe and smoke it, Rafe. Y’all got some sewage here and your frantic spraying of Lysol is almost comical.
Mary Elizabeth
February 14th, 2013
11:43 am
To Readers:
If you care to read in greater detail of the causal relationship between poverty and education, you may want to “google” the “Progress in International Reading Literacy Study” and the “Trends in International Math and Science Study.” These well-respected international studies have, no doubt, published their 2011 studies by now, which will give you the latest data to demonstrate the relationship between poverty and education.
Politico
February 14th, 2013
11:46 am
Thulsa
To call this the “adult table”, you must certainly ignore the consistent insults and namecalling that is done consistently here by Aesop, Barry and several others.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
February 14th, 2013
11:50 am
“which will give you the latest data to demonstrate the relationship between poverty and education.”
That poverty has a negative relationship on education isn’t exactly a news flash, Mary Elizabeth.
The problem is the Federal government’s ineffectual attempts to reduce poverty, even after spending trillions of dollars to attack it.
And despite their abject failure to eradicate poverty (or even effectively reduce it’s rate), you want to put them in charge of our children’s education.
Pitiful.
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
February 14th, 2013
11:50 am
Too Big to Jail
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/gangster-bankers-too-big-to-jail-20130214
Rafe Hollister preparing for an Obamanist America
February 14th, 2013
11:52 am
Aquagirl
Do you have to parse my statement in order to fuel your anger. Here is the whole statement.
Most of the accusations and insults come from the left on this blog, other than a few parasite, takers, and leeches comments, which you may take as racial, but those targeted people make up all the races.
Most leeches and parasites are white, is that more clear for you? If you want work and prefer that someone else work harder, so you don’t have to, you can be of any race, but still a lazy worthless parasite.
You just can’t get away from grouping people as Dems always do. If some one posts something you don’t like, you immediately imply that it is because they are confederate, bigots, haters,yahoos, racist, hicks, kkkers, blah, blah.
Maybe, just maybe, they have a different view than you do and you should just deal with the difference in opinion, and not get off into your preconceived ill informed generalizations.
why
February 14th, 2013
11:52 am
This is just another tactic to avoid the main issue that our country is beyond bankrupt. He knows the Federal Gov’t doesn’t have the money to fund these programs, and when they don’t pass he’ll blame the Republicans
Every Speech Obama has ever made: Promise, Blame, Exploit Something, Tax, Spend
sailfish
February 14th, 2013
11:57 am
“And that reality is that Head start is possibly nothing more than a baby sitting program for parents to lazy to watch after their own kids.”
That comment is flat out ignorant! But hey, don’t take my word for it or cite some self justifying report, go see with your own eyes. If you don’t think that a structured program to introduce those kids to education is NOT better than nothing, then…there’s no hope for the likes of you! You nor I can’t control the conditions of a child born into this world but we can at least ATTEMPT to do something to get them started in the right direction. I wish it weren’t so, but reality bites and doing nothing is simply unnacceptable.
If you had a loving mom & dad and a great childhood, count your blessings, some are born into hell with their first breath.
billy ray
February 14th, 2013
11:57 am
Don’t forget that the lottery continues to shrink also because the good little repub boys and girls were mandated into the legislation that originally was needs based. If there is a program that is meant to help the poor and disadvantaged, the good little repubs will find a way to get their share of those funds-you can count on it.
getalife
February 14th, 2013
11:57 am
That EU austerity thingie failed really bad Kyle.
getalife
February 14th, 2013
11:59 am
Those kids do not stand a chance because they are not wealthy to donate to the gop.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
February 14th, 2013
12:00 pm
“Do you have to parse my statement in order to fuel your anger.”
Yes, she does, Rafe.
The only way a lib can make an argument on here is if they parse the statement or create an alternate reality of your stance.
Thulsa Doom
February 14th, 2013
12:00 pm
Mary Elizabeth,
Nope. There is a correlation between poverty and academic success. But there is no direct causal relationship. If that were true then every student including folks like Ben Carson, Thomas Sowell, and millions of others would have been academic failures since they came from poor backgrounds. I myself have 2 degrees and my family was low income until high school.
I think you need to understand the difference between correlation and cause and effect. Poverty in and of itself does not automatically cause poor academic performance. Period.
getalife
February 14th, 2013
12:03 pm
I think the only way to “fix” the gop is for the gop to surrender to our President and get out of the way of free commerce.
Aesop's Fables and other Lib Economic Theories
February 14th, 2013
12:04 pm
Just another chance for the libs to brainwash the children with all their filthy ideas.
It’s truly sicko.
Aesop's Fables and other Lib Economic Theories
February 14th, 2013
12:06 pm
God didn’t create you in His likeness, you evolved from the worms and maggots. Now let’s learn how to install a condom, class.
billy ray
February 14th, 2013
12:06 pm
Rafe Hollister preparing for an Obamanist America Back up your statement that most takers(parasites and leeches) are white. You seem to throw out loads of opinions expressed as facts but without any citing. Your opinions, while excellent to you, mean nothing to me. Give us some true facts that did not arise in the bowels of Rush or faux news.
beanster
February 14th, 2013
12:07 pm
“You nor I can’t control the conditions of a child born into this world”
Perhaps, though, we could stop contributing to the conditions which exacerbate the societal problems created by such conditions.
billy ray
February 14th, 2013
12:08 pm
Aesop’s Fables and other Lib Economic Theories You are the real sicko here. Why don’t you do something truly useful to society instead of running people down that think differently than you. You really are not worth wasting my breath -.forget I said anything
Thulsa Doom
February 14th, 2013
12:09 pm
“That comment is flat out ignorant!”
If that’s true then provide a link or something from the Human health and services report to dispute my statement. The report flat out states that whatever gains were possibly made were lost by the 1st grade I think it was. How many times does this need to be reiterated to you sir?
Interestingly you went on a long diatribe against my statement but provided no proof to back up your diatribe. I on the other hand keep referring to the conclusion from the report which is that any gains made are lost by the time grade school comes around. Your subjective opinion does not outweigh the report. Now try again with something more substantive please.
Don't Tread
February 14th, 2013
12:09 pm
“There are too many people in Washington who are entrenched in the idea that if the federal government’s going to be involved in a program, we need to control it. And the way you control it is with money.”
There are too many people in Washington who are entrenched in the idea that the federal government should be in control of everything, period.
getalife
February 14th, 2013
12:10 pm
“That comment is flat out ignorant!”
Of course, it is doomy.
Aquagirl
February 14th, 2013
12:12 pm
Most leeches and parasites are white, is that more clear for you?
Oh, so the poster complaining minorities won’t vote Republican really meant “white people won’t vote Republican?”
Well, thanks for clearing that up, I’m not sure why I thought “minorities” meant “minorities.” No wonder conservatives and Republicans are so tragically misunderstood.
getalife
February 14th, 2013
12:12 pm
Stay the course cons.
You are doing a heck of a job.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
February 14th, 2013
12:14 pm
getalife, this President wouldn’t know free commerce if it bit him on the backside, which of course would never be allowed to happen because only he is allowed to have people with guns around him for protection.
Mary Elizabeth
February 14th, 2013
12:16 pm
@ Thulsa Doom, 11:21
“Mary Elizabeth,
Then you need to broaden your horizons and read articles other than from a left leaning educational perspective. Read some basic history or perhaps some studies of different cultures. . . .”
=========================================================
Actually, Thulsa Doom, I have written an article on my personal blog entitled, “Poverty and Education” which incorporates history. Your unwarranted condescension toward me aside (which I have previously stated to you reflects more poorly upon your insight, than upon mine), you may find that you have learned something from having read my article in the link, below.
http://maryelizabethsings.wordpress.com/2013/01/27/poverty-and-education/
—————————————————————————————–
Also, you might want to “google” the name of Dr. Frank Laubach, who well knew of the problem of poverty and literacy, worldwide, and who spent his life working against them both for the betterment of humankind. Moreover, the English writer Charles Dickens well expressed in his 1843 novella “A Christmas Carol” the following warning to humankind which we, today, would be wise to heed:
“They are Man’s and they cling to me, appealing from their fathers. This boy is Ignorance and this girl is Want. Beware them both, and all of their degree, but most of all beware this boy for on his brow I see that written which is Doom, unless the writing be erased.”
why
February 14th, 2013
12:16 pm
“I think the only way to “fix” the gop is for the gop to surrender to our President”
Sorry, Obama isn’t a dictator…yet
Scooter
February 14th, 2013
12:16 pm
Well Kyle, The Obama is a man who encourages job creation by consistently introducing uncertainty into the labor market and tops it off by telling employers they may soon have to pay a minimum wage of $9.00/hour. Of course people who support those actions will demagogue us for knowing it is counterproductive. But heck, they probably believed Obamacare would bend the cost curve down and we could keep our insurance, all in spite of the video showing Obama stating his preference for single payer and envisioning a ten to fifteen year transition period to it.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
February 14th, 2013
12:17 pm
How ironic is it that the “forever” stamp I used to mail a check into my useless state government has the word “Freedom” printed on it . . .
Thulsa Doom
February 14th, 2013
12:17 pm
“If you had a loving mom & dad and a great childhood, count your blessings, some are born into hell with their first breath.”
Sir, my mom used to tell me about the times when I was a child and we didn’t have milk or bread. And she used to tell me about how my parents would get paid once a month and worry about how they were going to make it till the end of the month again. And we didn’t have food stamps either because this was in Spain where U.S. food stamps weren’t used. Enough with the empty rhetoric crap about poverty. Been there. Done that. And perhaps you need some education on what real poverty is. Take your butt down to Central America with me and I’ll show you real poverty.
Then take a look at the last U.S. census report and learn the difference between real poverty and relative poverty. You will understand through the census that the average person in the U.S. classified as “poor” has more material wealth and more square footage of living space than the average Frenchman or German. And while you’re at it take a look at how many of those “poor” people own x boxes, flat screen tvs, have internet access, cell service, automobiles, etc. relative to their European middle class counterparts. You might just learn something other than empty liberal rhetoric and hyperbole.
Matz
February 14th, 2013
12:23 pm
Hatin’ on the lil’ chee’runs again, I see. Well, they deserve it. They CHOSE to be born into poverty, addiction, abuse, or dysfunction, or worse: working parents who have several part time jobs just to make ends meet. After all, a person needs to make his or her mind up before he or she is enters a womb to be born to a family with values. Good Republican, gubmint-hating values. If the donor vessels in question cannot afford private school (in a state that provides vouchers), nannies, or to have a college-degreed mom stay home and teach the kids herself, then don’t climb into her zygote to be born of her in the first place!
Personal responsibility, people. Who cares if we’re ALL better off when our populace is educated? Enough this this nanny-state education nonsense, already!
getalife
February 14th, 2013
12:25 pm
Yeah, our President is one giant regulation of self inflicted wounds to our economy to give us our first downgrade.
The only way to save your failed party is for the gop to surrender and get out of the way of free enterprise.
Matz
February 14th, 2013
12:28 pm
Mary Elizabeth,
Years ago I became a Laubach literacy instructor and worked with adults. It was awesome. I should get back into it.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
February 14th, 2013
12:28 pm
Free enterprise is another term getalife doesn’t understand.
sailfish
February 14th, 2013
12:30 pm
doom
Aren’t you the scholar? What’s better something or nothing? Stick to the reports to find your validation but I challenge you to visit and draw your own conclusion.
By the way, there is a huge difference between a family in poverty as opposed to no family at all, the operative word being family. How could it possibly be wrong headed to TRY as opposed to do nothing? I prefer to err on the side of caution.
getalife
February 14th, 2013
12:31 pm
But the gop will stay the course until the party splits.
These are great blogging times.
The gop are divided and conquered.
President Obama is annihilating the gop.
Thulsa Doom
February 14th, 2013
12:32 pm
Mary Elizabeth,
Sorry that you took it that I was being condescending to you. That was no my intention and I apologize if you felt it was. I was simply making the point that most of your educational articles are probably going to have a liberal bent to them. And that you should read some articles and authors that don’t fit your narrative- and not that’s not meant to be condescending. Just an observation. For example instead of reading Paul Krugman all the time try reading a conservative economist. I read liberal economists like Krugman and Yanis Varoufakis all the time.
And yes. I’ve read Dickens. And if you’re honest with yourself you will note that the U.S. and its treatment of children today vs the 1800s when kids worked in coal mines is completely and wholly different. Most of the kids that my sis teachers get free breakfast, free lunch, their parents get food stamps to help with dinner, many get medicaid so health care is not a concern, Section 8 subsidized housing, welfare and or unemployment, and on and on.
Having lived in real poverty and having witnessed real abject poverty in Central America I think we do about as much as can reasonably be done for children of poor families. And these kids and supposedly poor parents here in the U.S. have absolutely no clue as to what REAL poverty is. There are very few of them that don’t have food, shelter, modern day conveniences, clothes, free education, and other amenities that kids in 3rd world nations can’t even fathom.
sailfish
February 14th, 2013
12:37 pm
doom@12:17
You are so full of it, yet it is people like you who will wail and moan about abortion to get them into this world unloved and unwanted, and then the likes of you will tell them its better than europe or s. america and pull up those bootstraps? Talk about loony tunes, with you there is no forest or trees, just a desert full of sand complete with mirages.
Thulsa Doom
February 14th, 2013
12:40 pm
Sailfish,
I never claimed to be a scholar- You did.
“How could it possibly be wrong headed to TRY as opposed to do nothing? I prefer to err on the side of caution.”
Again. If it doesn’t work then it doesn’t work. End of story. You can prefer to err on the side of caution but do it with your own money. To me if the evidence is that its just a waste of money then it is what it is- a waste of money and nothing more than an expensive baby sitting service. Why you can’t wake up and see what is obvious I can’t understand. And since you have your anecdotes let me bring in one. I had spoken with my sis over the Xmas holidays and asked her about things like Head start. She told me that when these kids get to 1st grade they know absolutely nothing. Nada. Zilch. Zero. I asked her to explain. She said they don’t know the most basic things like colors, shapes, etc. In other words they really aren’t being taught hardly anything in head start. It is what it is. And at a time when the nation is going broke we have folks like you who let their emotions get in the way of rational thought. The rational, logical thing to do is to end the program if it does not work. For the 17th time sir- if it doesn’t work then it doesn’t work.
Thulsa Doom
February 14th, 2013
12:44 pm
“You are so full of it, yet it is people like you who will wail and moan about abortion to get them into this world unloved and unwanted, and then the likes of you will tell them its better than europe or s. america and pull up those bootstraps? Talk about loony tunes, with you there is no forest or trees, just a desert full of sand complete with mirages.”
That’s a whole lot of gobbledeegook and hyperbole in one paragraph. Not to mention that now you are deflecting to the abortion debate which has nothing to do with what we are talking about. So if I read you right now you are saying that if you believe in the sanctitity of life then you should be responsible for paying for the raising of other people’s kids. You love yourself some pretty twisted logic don’t you?
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
February 14th, 2013
12:47 pm
Let’s review:
The Federal government goes into debt in order to fund a program that doesn’t work, and the liberals want to continue it and enhance it.
The state of Georgia does a better job at the same task, and doesn’t go into debt making it work, and the liberals don’t want to repeat it anywhere.
Questions?
Thulsa Doom
February 14th, 2013
12:48 pm
Good grief. So now sailfish is deflecting to the abortion argument cause he can’t win this one. And now his logic is that if you believe in the sanctity of life that you should have to pay for raising someone else’s child. Libs do love they twisted logic they do.
Kat
February 14th, 2013
12:48 pm
I agree with you Kyle. I’ve always felt that the education system in this country has gone backwards the more the Feds are involved. Each state, county, and local school districts know what is needed in their area. Lets put it back in their hands.
Thulsa Doom
February 14th, 2013
12:50 pm
Tiberius,
Take over please. There’s only so much I can do to educate a liberal. Besides I’ve got some work to do. Its all up to you now. Its a tall order but see if you can’t learn sailfish a thing or 2.