Statesman: Idaho Will Fail Pre-K Again

When it comes to pre-kindergarten in Idaho, it’s a lot easier to make excuses than it is to make progress. In that sad spirit and troubling tradition, state schools Superintendent Tom Luna has no interest in seeking federal seed money to move pre-K off dead center. Luna wants the state to dump plans to compete for up to $50 million in federal “Race to the Top” grants for pre-K. He’s on the wrong side on this issue, and pretty much standing on his own.

• Luna is at odds with Gov. Butch Otter; in July, Otter told the feds that Idaho would apply for a share of their Early Learning Challenge money. This was no small step on Otter’s part, considering his oft-stated contempt of the feds and his aborted and ill-advised 2007 push to kill Idaho’s federally funded Head Start programs.
• Luna is crosswise with the educators and business leaders who have long been pushing Idaho to get moving on pre-K. They correctly view early education as a smart front-end investment in student success.
• Perhaps saddest of all, Luna is contradicting Luna. Full Idaho Statesman editorial here.

Question: How important is pre-kindergarten education to Idaho’s children?