Sacramento Head Start Alumni Association

A Letter to Oprah...

Jul 16, 2003

Oprah Winfrey
HARPO Productions
P.O. Box 909715
Chicago, IL 60607

Dear Oprah:

Please come a little closer as I whisper in your heart a true story,
fantastic, unbelievable, but true.

It happened about 39 years ago in the vast Land of Opportunity. There
was war and there was intense strife all over the land. I know this
may sound crazy, but most of the strife was over the difference in human
paint jobs. Some were white, others black or brown, and still some
were even red and yellow. Heads of state and high leaders were slain in
the violent still-life paintings including a young black preacher man
who shouted about justice for all, and walked long and hard for peace.

When the war was over and the only color left was blood red, the people
of this exceptional great land began to beat their bullet laden
paintbrushes into plowshares and decided, like the preacher man, to study war
no more.

The new head(s) of the land then analyzed the damage and the data and
could see clearly then, as their founding fathers did, what must be
done. They would do the right thing like Joseph in the land of Egypt.
They would be a father to the fatherless, to the at-risk, disadvantaged
children who, through no fault of their own, were vulnerable; especially
the most vulnerable, those between three and five, the preschoolers of
America. Those wise men of vision knew to protect the innocent and
vulnerable is gain for all and to neglect high parental responsibility was
shameful, sinful, suicidal. They therefore, introduced and established
their brainchild, Head Start, into the Department of Health and Human
Services. It was to be a comprehensive program for the whole child:
offering social, health, nutrition and academic help and services to the
eligible children. This was a very good thing! From a small Head Start
to an exponential growth spurt, its successes were phenomenal and
predictable. It took a nation to raise our children.

Fast forward to the year 2003. ??œThen arose a new king over Egypt,
which knew not Joseph.??? It became no longer politically correct or
fashionable (not that it ever was) for fathers to support all their
preschool children.

??œLet them be abandoned to the governors of states, to their single
parents.??? ??œBut Pharaoh, we??™re talking about a million at-risk
preschoolers, mostly white, but who are all of diverse colors and cultures.
The governors of states have no money, they will not use the money you
give them for Head Start.??? ??œThen let them go and gather their own
straw to make bricks but require them to make the same number of bricks
as before.???

I don??™t need to tell you that three, four and five year old at-risk
children cannot go and gather their own straw to make bricks. To become
pillars/pyramids of coping, enduring strength, they necessitate the
unity of efficiency and wellness only found in federal dollars, resources
and commitment.

No doubt, Oprah, you are aware of the current crisis confronting Head
Start in its Reauthorization to a state block grant program by the
urging of the Bush Administration. The aim of Reauthorization now before
the House of Education and Workforce Education Reform Subcommittee is to
??œboost the efficient delivery of preschool services by allowing
states to combine their own preschool programs with Head Start.??? Their
goal is to improve and expand existing early learning opportunities in
the state.

Senators Edward Kennedy and Christopher Dodd argue that ??œthe
accomplishment of those goals must not come at the expense of dismantling the
federal commitment to Head Start??¦A block grant would dismantle Head
Start and deny needed services to the nearly one million children
enrolled in the program.???

A new nationwide study by Yale University says that ??œstate-funded
preschool programs often fall short of Head Start and cites that states
have uneven and often inferior track record in preschool predicts poor
outcomes for Head Start in many states if it is transferred from federal
to state control.???

Governor Edward G. Rendell of Pennsylvania appealed to Senator Arlen
Specter writing that ??œthis program (Head Start) has been a notable
success and now is not the time to change its fundamental structure??¦We
need a strong federal commitment??¦to reach our goal of offering a high
quality early childhood system in our state.???

The Reauthorization of Head Start clearly violates the ??˜No Child Left
Behind Act.??™ You think one child left behind is serious - think
about one million.

I don??™t mean to abuse your listening ear. This is not the case of
??˜if it ain??™t broke, don??™t fix it??™ but one of throwing out the
multitudes of preschoolers when there is no dirty bath water.

Finally, as the Deputy Director of Head Start Children and Family
Services in Sacramento California, having served in this incredibly
successful federal program for the past twenty years and loved every minute, I
feel compelled to bring this impending national crisis to your stage
door in hopes of humbly securing your help for viewing attention. Let
America beware. I, by no means, am asking for you to take sides-I
respect your talent and skill at maintaining objectivity-but rather, I am
begging for a chance, an urgent opportunity for our tender, yet
frightening dilemma to be aired.

I can give you qualitative testimonies, documents across the board,
histories, etc., whatever you will need to make this heartfelt,
professional, unforgettable show. I know how much you love children. Your
international efforts in this regard are well known, admired and deeply
respected by most, if not all.

In closing, I must say that your Breathing Space on Oprah.com was very
moving and special to me personally. Please consider for a moment the
breathing space that is fundamental but will be denied to 900,000 +
three-to-five year old children who cannot help themselves. Will you? Or
should they be made to find their own straws to make their own bricks
the best way they can? Thank you for listening.

Respectfully and gratefully yours,


Norma Johnson
Deputy Director
Head Start and Family Services