It all sounds so obvious - give disadvantaged kids an early start to their education and we'll all reap the benefits. Unfortunately, there's less consensus on how well Head Start actually works in the long term.

For example, from this article, we find:

"Many evaluations have also found evidence that Head Start has short-term positive effects on some cognitive skills such as vocabulary. Research has shown that Head Start helps children avoid grade repetition and placement in the special education track, and that both of these factors are linked to higher schooling attainments later in life. Unfortunately, most studies have also found that gains in children's cognitive test scores are relatively short-lived, and begin to disappear by the time children reach third grade. However, my research with Duncan Thomas and the research of Arthur Reynolds and his colleagues suggest that such "fadeout" is not inevitable."

The first step to fixing any problem is to recognize it exists. There are studies that seem to indicate Head Start is less effective than promised. If that's the case, then something needs to change if we're going to help the most vulnerable kids. However, asking difficult questions about Head Start is a sure way to find yourself demonized, politically.