Trump Administration's Gutting of Head Start Puts Vulnerable Kids at Risk

WASHINGTON-AFT President Randi Weingarten issued the following statement after the Trump administration unveiled a proposal to scrap hundreds of federal regulations governing Head Start, the early education program that serves roughly 700,000 of the nation's poorest and most vulnerable children. Thousands of AFT members work in Head Start, and countless other K-12 schools across the country rely on the program's federal funding stream.

"For nearly six decades, Head Start has given kids from low-income families a genuine shot at success. The name isn't accidental. Head Start equips kids with tools to stay on track, and get ahead, right from the beginning of their learning journey in a secure, nurturing environment.

"The Trump administration doesn't seem to share these priorities. They tried to kill Head Start outright once already, and parents, providers and Congress said no. So, now they're trying another tactic: Set the program up for failure by diluting standards, capping what programs can spend on staff, burying providers in pointless paperwork and then using these self-inflicted wounds to justify another round of cuts.

"Slashing the administrative spending cap from 15 percent to 5 percent, without a dime more in funding, isn't streamlining anything. It's a mandate to do more with less, and it's kids who will pay for it, in bigger classrooms with fewer educators.

"This is a test of what we value as a country. We will stand with our members and fight in Congress, in the courts and the court of public opinion until the promise of Head Start is fully restored."

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The AFT represents 1.8 million pre-K through 12th-grade teachers; paraprofessionals and other school-related personnel; higher education faculty and professional staff; federal, state and local government employees; nurses and healthcare workers; and early childhood educators.