DeLauro on the Issues | Legislation

Legislation Introduced by Congresswoman DeLauro

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108th Congress

The Loan Forgiveness for Head Start Teachers Act of 2003 will expand the federal loan forgiveness program to include Head Start teachers. As we move closer to the reauthorization of the Head Start program, it is critical that we include incentives to recruit and retain highly qualified teachers.

For 38 years, Head Start has provided comprehensive child development, literacy, and family services to more than 18 million infants, toddlers, and 3- and 4-year-olds from low-income and working poor families. Annually, it serves close to one million children and their families with services to aid their social, emotional, and intellectual development.

Critical to the success of every Head Start classroom has been a qualified teacher. The Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES) conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services found that a strong relationship between the education of a Head Start teacher and classroom quality. Specifically, the study found that teachers with higher levels of education had classes with more high quality language activities such as reading books to the children and provided more opportunities for children to develop skills in expressing thoughts.

To prepare Head Start children for elementary school, we must recruit qualified teachers who have demonstrated knowledge and teaching skills in reading, writing, early childhood development, and other areas of the preschool curriculum. Obtaining and maintaining teachers with such qualifications is the only way to encourage cognitive development and ensure that our youngsters start elementary school ready to learn.

In order to recruit Head Start teachers, who on average earn only $21,287 a year, and help them obtain at least a bachelor’s degree, this legislation extends $5,000 in federal loan forgiveness to teachers who commit to five years of teaching in a qualified Head Start program. Current law allows elementary and secondary school teachers to receive up to $5,000 in loan forgiveness in exchange for five years of service. I believe that Head Start teachers should be given this same opportunity.

The inclusion of Head Start teachers in the loan forgiveness program would encourage college graduates to pursue a career in the Head Start field, and offer current Head Start teachers an incentive to complete or start a college degree. Ensuring that our nation’s low-income children enter elementary school with the cognitive skills necessary to succeed in school should be one of our highest priorities.

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