mr. chairman , i yield myself such time as i may consume . 
mr. chairman , for four decades , head start has provided comprehensive child development , literacy , family services to more than 18 million preschoolers from low-income and working poor families . 
it is a proven success . 
head start graduates are less likely to need special education services , to be held back a grade , or to get in trouble with the law . 
they are more likely to go on to college and to have professional careers . 
it is unquestionably the most effective early childhood development program ever developed . 
for all the program 's success , we know that even the best teachers struggle with overwhelming class sizes , particularly with young children , and head start 's 10 to 1 ratio of students to teachers in the classroom presents clear challenges in helping head start children gain the cognitive skills other children have . 
that is why this amendment , allowing head start centers to recruit and train college students as mentors , reading mentors for preschool children , is so needed . 
we all know the benefits of mentoring , whether it is after school , on weekends , or during the school day , mentoring programs change young peoples ' lives . 
there is a proven link between mentoring and reduced substance abuse later in life and improved academic achievement . 
and of course the benefits of mentoring are mutual . 
some of the college student mentors in this initiative will even become head start teachers themselves some day . 
that is what we have seen in one program which deploys 2 , 100 college students who devote 15 hours per week during the school year to mentor head start students . 
that program is also a proven success . 
i want to be clear , my amendment would not replace the specialized work of head start teachers . 
there is no substitute for the work of a qualified , trained teacher , nor would anything in this amendment require local head start centers to offer mentoring programs . 
head start grantees would have the chance whether or not to start a mentoring program for head start children . 
mr. chairman , with this amendment we are simply seeking to supplement the remarkable work of our head start teachers in a way that allows for children to learn at their optimum capacity . 
it allows head start teachers to make the greatest impact possible . 
and that is why i urge my colleagues to support this amendment . 
mr. chairman , i reserve the balance of my time . 
