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search), a 15-year-old, $225 million federal literacy program for low-income families. "The focus of this program, of an Even Start program, is on family litera cy. So not just the adult learning English but helping the child in scho ol so that the children succeed in school, so that the parents get bette r jobs so that their child is living in a better situation," said teache r Haley Wiggins. The program is on the chopping block after Bush identified it as one of 1 50 federal programs that should be trimmed or eliminated. "The problem is that after three separate evaluations, it has become abun dantly clear that the program is not succeeding. People are not becoming more literate," the president said. One of those studies referred to by Bush was conducted in 2003.
search) concluded that Even Start participants pe rformed about as well as those in a control group who were not involved in the program. But Democrats were quick to criticize the president's decision.
"When the president puts forth a budget that discriminates against childr en, I think the point should be made to the public," House Minority Lead er Nancy Pelosi of California said. Those on the front lines of Even Start programs nationwide say cutting it will have a negative impact on poor families in which English is not th e first language.
Congress is usually reluctant to cut education programs, especially when the average state grant is more than $4 million a year. But officials wi th the Department of Education say they know exactly what to tell lawmak ers on Capitol Hill. "Just because it's called an education program doesn't mean it's educatin g children, and that's what we want to do, put money where it's actually leading to children learning," said Todd Jones, associate deputy secret ary of education for budget issues. Overall education spending in the new Bush budget is down 09 percent. It's too soon to tell if Congress will adhere to that diet and exercise plan. Click in the box near the top of the story to watch a report by FOX News' Brian Wilson.
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