[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 5]
[House]
[Pages 7294-7295]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

  (Ms. ADAMS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)

[[Page 7295]]


  Ms. ADAMS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of continuing 
investments in early childhood education.
  Yesterday marked the 50th anniversary launch of Head Start. Head 
Start programs give students an opportunity to start out strong and 
help to close the achievement gap that plagues many low-income 
communities.
  As a mother, grandmother, and retired educator, I recognize that 
early education provides students with the resources they need in the 
most critical learning years. More than 27 percent of the people in my 
district live below the poverty line. Students in low-income families 
have obvious disadvantages that are exacerbated when they arrive in 
kindergarten less prepared than their peers.
  More than 3,000 children in my district benefit from Head Start 
programs. These programs give many children the jump-start and the 
confidence they need. Research shows that children enrolled in high-
quality education programs are more likely to graduate from high 
school, go to college, and secure high-paying jobs.
  Mr. Speaker, an investment in early education is an investment in our 
future. I will continue fighting for early learning initiatives and 
commonsense education reform that prepare all of our students to 
succeed, and I call on my colleagues to do the same.

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