Head Start preschools aim to fight poverty, but their teachers struggle to make ends meet

By Moriah Balingit | The Associated Press Doris Milton, 63, stands for a portrait at the Bethel New Life holistic wellness center Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024, in Chicago. In some ways, Doris Milton is a Head Start success story. A student in one of Chicago’s inaugural Head Start classes, when the federally-funded early education program was in its infancy. Milton followed in her teacher’s footsteps, now a Head Start teacher in Chicago, but after more than four decades on the job, Milton, 63, earns $22 an hour. It’s a wage that puts her above the federal poverty line, but she is far from financially secure. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast) WASHINGTON (AP) — In some ways, Doris Milton is a& Head Start& success story. She was a student in one of Chicago’s inaugural Head Start classes, when the antipoverty program, which aimed to help children succeed by providing them a first-rate preschool education, was in its infancy. Milton loved her teacher so much that she decided to follow in her footsteps. She now works as a Head Start teacher in Chicago. After four decades on the job, Milton, 63, earns $22.18 an hour. Her pay puts her above the poverty line,...