European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 8, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday septembers 1987 the stars and stripes Page 9 education news education chief says younger kids May receive More Federal funds Washington a Secretary of education Viniam Bennett said sunday the Reagan administration would consider shining More Federal Aid to Edu Cate America s younger children As recommended by a prominent business group. We believe that for disadvantaged children Early intervention can help can make a big difference provided you bring the family along with them Bennett said. His comments came in response to a report by the committee for economic development that Calls for pre school programs for All disadvantaged 3 and 4-year-Olds, Quality child care programs parenting education and pre Natal and postnatal care for pregnant teen agers. The summary of the report suggests the earlier the education the better Bennett said on Abc to s meet the  we re Happy to take a look at this and think about redeploying some of our funds at that Early level. I be tended to argue that we should put More of our resources to younger  Bennett said $308 billion will be spent on education which ought to be enough but priorities May be shifted to include More funds for programs to educate younger children. The 87-Page report titled children in need in vestment strategies for the educationally disadvantaged warns that allowing these children to fail will not Only impoverish these children it will impoverish our nation culturally politically  the report which was to be released tuesday also urges the earliest possible intervention with at risk families for reasons of both compassion and Cost effective  the committee comprising some of the nation s top corporate executives said that if schools impose higher standards but fail to provide special help to meet those standards i million students will drop out and up to700,000 will graduate without the skills necessary for higher education or employment. F the present situation continues the Scarcity of Well Edu ated and Well qualified people in the work Force will seriously dam age this country s com j pet Tive position in an increasingly challenging global marketplace the report said. Bennett said his de apartment has taken a hard look at its program for educationally disadvantaged children and suggested moving the Grants to children at a younger  i gov. Bill Clinton of Arkansas who appeared Bennett on the Abc program from Little Rock ark., said an investment of a few 100 million dollars in the plan would pay Rich dividends. Get these kids when they re 3 or 4 years old. They re less Likely to drop out less Likely to get on drugs less Likely to have babies when they re teen agers they re less Likely to be problems later on Clinton said. Bennett said a few Hundred million More in t a problem if we can target the Money and if we can get  one of the important things in these studies shows that Early gains for children can be undone if the school they go into does t do a Good Job to follow up he said. Bennett criticized the National education association and other educational organizations for resisting efforts to Institute accountability in the school system. The education Secretary wants accreditation for posts Condary schools to depend less on How Many books they own and More on How much their students learn. The problem is if you do a very Good Job by students or for students As teacher or principal rarely docs any thing happen to you or for you he said. If you do a bad Job by students rarely does anything happen to you or for you except you re Likely to get More Money. The Nea resists significant change wherever it s proposed. Whenever you try to get accountability into the system the Nea is there to resist and sometimes some of the other Large educational organizations As Well Bennett said. Mary Hatwood Futrell president of the Nea said there has been some Progress in education Reform but the process will take some time. We have to understand it took a Long time to get where we Are and it s going to take some time turn i around Futrell said on Abc to s this week with David  she added that she was encouraged that the Reform movement seems to be focusing More now on Content and on students and on teachers whereby the Early part of it focused on skills and  Baltimore school orders students to Wear uniforms Baltimore a a Public school Here has begun a new program requiring its students to Wear uniforms to Cut parental clothing costs and re Duce social pressures on children. The 360 students at the Cherry Hill elementary school now look the Way students at parochial schools have dressed for years. The boys Wear Navy Slacks with Light Blue shirts and ties while the girls Wear Light Blue blouses and Navy jumpers. The South Baltimore school is one of three in the area to Institute the program. Competition Between students for clothing has become intense and some times violent. In 1983, a 14-year-old boy was shot and killed in a Baltimore school by someone who wanted his $65 Georgetown University jacket authorities said. Clothes clashes Are not so violent for elementary school children but they Are still expensive and distracting educators said. That pressure can be devastating if they can t afford it said Cherry Hill principal William Howard. In Cherry Hill a mostly Black Low and Middle income Community the Price for fashion Success was too High for Many parents. Children can get destroyed wit concern about clothes instead of Educa Tion said Jacqueline Powell a former student at Cherry Hill and the coordinator of the uniform project. She said she had seen preschool Chil Dren who knew about Calvin Klein jeans but could t remember the name of their Street. Uniforms can make children feel better about themselves and instill Pride Howard said. The Pride the uniforms generate also spreads to the Community. In Cherry Hill there s always been so much negative press said Powell. She believes the project can be a Way of proving that the Community is a Posi Tive  the project already has helped to mobilize the Community said Howard. When some families could t afford the uniforms a uniform fund was established. The uniforms also save Money for parents. They Cost about $45 each including shoes. Howard said that the most Gratifying aspect May be the acceptance of the kids. The kids love it Howard said. I like the color and it did t Cost a lot said Winter Dempsey a third grader. Another third grader Dante Bryant said i like the uniforms bet Ter than jeans and  i think it s Good. It changes our attitudes about ourselves said fourth grader Shelley Smith. Now we Don t Nave to go to trouble about our  some Cherry Hill pupils even under stood the economics behind the uni forms. Now our parents Don t have to spend All that Money for our clothes said fourth grader Nicole Singleton. The idea started last summer when Powell and the uniform committee presented their plan to Howard. A series of forums with parents last year revealed that about 97 percent of the parents supported the idea said Howard. The Baltimore school system a proved of the project and a local de signer was picked to design and Manu facture them. A neighbourhood shoe store offered to give a 25 percent Dis count on some fits shoes. Portable classroom solves Day care problems Miami up when working parents at the american Bankers insurance group drop their Chil Dren off at kindergarten they Don t have far to go. The Dade county school system has opened a kindergarten in a portable classroom on the insurance company premises just a few Hundred Yards from the building where the parents work. Believed to be the first Public school classroom inthe workplace it expands company operated Day care into a working Mother s dream called satellite  class is in session from 8 . To 2 p.m., Theny Mca employees take Over for supervised after school activities. The teacher Sticks around another hour and a half to finish her work and if a parental conference is called for mom or dad can be summoned in minutes. The portable school will be replaced in Early 1988 with a permanent schoolhouse built by the insurance company at its own expense to House kindergarten first and second Grade classes. The kindergarten opened a week ago with Little of the anxiety that usually Marks the first Day of school. There were no tears about leaving mom and dad. They Are already used to that said teacher Roberta Reiser a 10-year Veteran in the kindergarten class room. They seem far More adjusted and comfortable. And there Are not very Many kindergarteners who walk in and know everybody in the  most of the 25 children in her class have attended Day care together for years. American has offered on site Day care for employees children since 1984. Since then instances of tardiness and absenteeism Are Down tremendously. It s practically non existent. The turnover of those parents who have children in the Day care facility is extremely Low 4 percent or 5 per cent said Philip Sharkey american s senior vice president of human resources. Ninety children Are in the company Day care pro Gram and there is a waiting list of 70 More so Man that american is building another Center on its prop erty to be operated by a nationally franchised group. The satellite school grew out of the school District s partnership program which matches Public schools with nearby private businesses that provide guest speakers award programs and other resources. School administrators and chamber of Commerce representatives were discussing ways to expand the program when superintendent Joseph Fernandez suggested putting Early elementary school classes on the grounds of a major corporation. Since american was already building the Day care Center its chairman volunteered to add the class rooms. Under their agreement the company provides the building utilities and Security and custodial services. The school District supplies the teacher teaching mate rials and furniture. The permanent schoolhouse will have three class rooms and a combination teachers lounge and Confer ence room. Sharkey describes the $300,000 Cost As a investment in the company s future because employees who Don t have to worry about Day care tend to stick around. Your biggest Cost in running any kind of operation is people recruiting them training them. The More you turn Over the More it costs Well definitely re coup the Cost said Sharkey