123 doesn't add up
Of all the lousy ways to save a buck. "Christmas Vacation" fans know the line; the stingy boss's wife, after discovering him kidnapped and bow-wrapped in Chevy Chase's house, shakes her head. He should have known better.
Wednesday's Press report of aptly named Idaho House bill 123 had me feeling the same. Eliminating kindergarten is no way to save a buck (or 33 million). I'm glad this bill didn't originate from any of our legislators up north; they obviously know better. Perhaps Rep. Thayn's household is highly education-focused with a full-time, at-home, and naturally gifted teacher to guide all, but that's hardly the reality of most young children. I can't be convinced that before pay cuts and other tough budget-reducing decisions yet to be made, it's a good idea to give kids less schooling.
If anything, things would go better the other way. We Americans educate kids later than their brains can handle, and not as well as world competitors. With the whole world struggling with tighter and weaker economies, our workers have to be able to compete. Early childhood education is directly linked to high school graduation rates and overall career success. Kids who attend preschool are more likely to graduate and graduate with good grades, compared to kids who stay home. If that's true with preschool, imagine how much more so with kindergarten.
"We're no longer competing just with Colorado; we're competing with China," said Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer, speaking at an education summit in Kansas a couple of years ago.
A Kansas study found that half of their 5-year-olds weren't ready to meet the demands of kindergarten. About half of American kids attend preschool.
At the other end of the spectrum is Japan where, like here, preschool is optional. Yet 95 percent of Japanese kids attend preschool. Some high-pressure eastern standards may be overkill for a 4-year-old, but connecting early childhood education with a stable economic future is well documented. Reducing it seems counterintuitive.
What's ironic is that this bill, which doesn't technically eliminate kindergarten but works backward by changing the funding formula so districts can't effectively support it, ostensibly carves a quiet exception. By allowing about $17 million to continue to flow through, the bill gives districts the "flexibility" to address the most at-risk kids. The irony? Lack of early and effective childhood education is correlated to a higher risk of - you guessed it - at-risk kids.
Talk about shooting yourself in the foot. We can aim better than this.
Sholeh Patrick, J.D. is a former state lobbyist and a columnist for the Hagadone News Network. E-mail sholehjo@hotmail.com