EDITORIAL: Earlier is better for Idaho education
How far would you go to accomplish the following in Idaho?
• Lower crime rates
• Improved math, science and reading scores
• Better high school graduation rates
• A stronger tax base stemming from higher earned wages
• A more robust workforce
While all of these are emerging as realistic achievements following effective early childhood education programs — emphasis on effective — Idaho still rates poorly on a national scale.
A recent study by personal finance website WalletHub.com pegs Idaho as having the nation’s ninth worst early childhood education system. The study is based on 12 metrics. While one of those metics is total reported spending per child enrolled in pre-kindergarten programs, experts note that it is less how much money is being spent than how that money is being spent.
And in case you’re thinking the study would reward only high-tax, “progressive” blue states, you should note that the No. 1 ranking goes to Arkansas. Yes, Arkansas invests heavily in pre-K but audits every participating school for results.
Despite Idaho’s low ranking overall, progress is being made. Under Gov. Brad Little and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield, increasing emphasis and investment in pre-K is taking root. The Legislature deserves some credit, too.
Not so long ago — March 2021 — Idaho legislators rejected $18 million in federal funds for early childhood education programs. Anti-federal sentiments ran strong: Joe Biden had moved into the White House, the pandemic was infecting and dividing the nation, and the economy was in a state of distress.
But Idaho was among the fastest states to emerge from the misery and has been shoring up its commitment to public education. While there’s still plenty of room to grow, a champion in the early education movement stands tall.
That’s the Idaho Association for the Education of Young Children.
More than two dozen Idaho communities now feature early learning collaboratives, local groups that fashion their offer early education opportunities. According to its website (idahoaeyc.org):
Early Learning collaboratives bring together essential stakeholders — such as city and school leaders, parents, teachers, and local businesses — who want to see high-quality learning opportunities for families in their community. The goal is to build partnerships among existing local experts in early childhood education to offer affordable, comprehensive early learning opportunities that would otherwise be unavailable to many families.
Believing local solutions with broad-based support offer the greatest benefit, The Press encourages parents and community leaders to focus more on early childhood education. The payback might not be immediate, but it will be profound.
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See the WalletHub study here: https://shorturl.at/AduOv