Massachusetts Fair Share Demands Kids, Not Cuts
With an estimated 2,015 students set to lose access to Head Start this fall, group asks Congress to stop the sequester, fully fund education
BOSTON – 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 reduced the number of children served by Head Start. Meanwhile, other cuts in education are taking place all across the state, from teacher aides to programs that serve disadvantaged youth and more.
“We believe that every child deserves a fair shot in life and that starts with a quality education,” said Nathan Proctor, Massachusetts Fair Share spokesman. “That’s why we are telling the public about the dangers of cutting education funding, thanking those in Congress who opposed the cuts and holding members who supported them accountable.”
On Wednesday, Massachusetts Fair Share delivered more than 5,000 petition signatures to U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s staff at Warren’s district office in Boston. The organization thanked Warren for her opposition to education cuts and urged Congress to put a halt to the sequester and avoid additional cuts. Congress already has cut $1.7 billion in federal education spending nationwide. Massachusetts will lose $47 million in the school year beginning in September.
Paul Toner, president of the 110,000-member Massachusetts Teachers Association, said education cuts are damaging to both the economy and to specific programs vital to student achievement.
“These cuts are hurting the most vulnerable children and families at the worst possible time,” Toner said in a prepared statement. “Across-the-board cuts that reduce funding for Title I, Head Start and programs for the disabled are absolutely the wrong prescription for our students and our economy. They have countless negative effects on our efforts to eliminate the achievement gap and help all students succeed.”
“Head Start began in 1965 during the War on Poverty,” Toner said. “Well, we’re still fighting a war on poverty – and for the sake of our students, their families and our country, we can’t let up.”
Kim Augur, a teacher and union leader from Everett, spoke Wednesday about the impact of the cuts on students in her community and other low-income districts. “Children from Everett are enrolled in the Tri-Cap Head Start program, which covers nine communities,” she said. “Eighteen of these children will lose their spots. That hurts all of us. Students are more likely to do well in school if they have been enrolled in a quality preschool program.”
As part of its Kids, Not Cuts! campaign, Massachusetts Fair Share has been collecting signatures and stories from people across the state who oppose education cuts. Working with the Massachusetts Head Start Association, Massachusetts Fair Share is pulling together statistics and quotes from Head Start locations across the Commonwealth. These stories, statistics and quotes from those opposing cuts in education are available Wednesday for the media.
More photos available here.
Massachusetts Fair Share is a grassroots field and advocacy group, working to provide every American with a fair shot, make sure everyone pays their fair share, and that everybody plays by the same set of rules. Find out more at www.MassachusettsFairShare.org