By Crystal D. Swann
May 23, 2005

The House Education and Workforce Committee May 18 unanimously approved a $6.9 billion Head Start Reauthorization bill (same level as FY -05), HR 2123 "School Readiness Act of 2005." The legislation as approved by the Committee did not include the controversial state demonstration block grant provision, which was strongly opposed by The United States Conference of Mayors and mayors across this nation. HR 2123 is the result of a bipartisan and collegial approach to eliminating some of the more troubling provisions of the 2003 House bill like the state block grant while maintaining and strengthening program accountability and quality.

The legislation sponsored by Representative Michael N. Castle (DE), requires the following:

• Head Start agencies to align their curricula with state academic standards, maintains all health and nutrition related components of Head Start programs;
• establishes a local governance board to monitor all program activities,
• requires Head Start programs to submit an annual report documenting expense income and expenditures; work with local school districts to ensure kindergarten readiness;
• clarifies the definition of "deficiency" which helps to ensure that good programs are forced to re-compete for funding;
• and clarifies "professional development" so that teachers will have access to a wider range of professional development services.

Several amendments were offered including a bipartisan amendment by Representatives Luis Fortuno (PR), Raul H. Grijalva (AZ), and Ruben Hinojosa (TX), which directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct a study of how Head Start serves Limited English Proficient (LEP) children and families; ensues that parents are provided information in their home language; makes under-represented groups of children a focus of the work of the early learning councils; leverages Training and Technical Assistance resources to improve access to and quality of services to LEPs, particularly in the emerging Hispanic states; and defines LEP in the Head Start Act to align with No Child Left Behind and the legal term more commonly associated with civil rights protections.

When HR 2123 reaches the House floor for debate, Rep. John Boehner (OH), Chair of the Education and Workforce Committee, promises to introduce an amendment allowing faith-based groups receiving Head Start funding to discriminate in hiring based on religious preferences. While the House has not set a date for floor debate, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee has schedule a mark up of a Head Start Reauthorization bill for May 25. S.1940 was filed on May 18 as a placeholder for the May 25 Committee mark-up.

Also the legislation provides no funding for teacher salaries. The Conference of Mayors remains committed to supporting bipartisan legislation that supports and strengthens this vital program for poor and under'served children.