It is hard for me to believe that only 51% of Idaho’s students are ready to learn when they enter kindergarten. That means they can recognize basic letters and numbers and write their name. The converse, 49% are not able to sing the abc’s, count, or write their own name. The percentage of children not ready to learn is substantially higher for Latino and low-income children. Statistically speaking, the nearly half of our children who are not ready will have great difficulty catching up with their peers. The normal progression will not result in those children reading proficiently enough by the third grade, the point where our schools stop trying to teach kids to read. The lack of reading skills increases the chances that they will drop out of school, certainly not go on to post secondary education, and are likely to end up receiving social services or in the criminal justice system. Idaho is one of only 5 states that spend “no” money getting kids ready to learn by kindergarten. There is a plan that would start Idaho’s investment in this critical foundational effort. The Idaho School Readiness Act is an adaptation of a collaboration that has worked in other states, like Mississippi. Local communities fund half the cost and the State of Idaho would support the rest. This is a great investment for the economic future of Idaho not to mention those whose futures would be unlimited. Ask your legislator what they are doing about early childhood education.
There are too many important details to try to explain them all – that said, the Idaho Business for Education, a non partisan business led organization is actively working to facilitate discussions on critical improvements to our school structure. Those include the teacher career ladder continued implementation and funding, academic and career advising with the goal of achieving a 60% go on to rate, education on why core standards are appropriate and mission critical. There are thousands of good paying jobs awaiting our students over the next ten years if they can offer businesses the necessary technical skills. Post secondary education is very important to Idaho’s economic viability.
Hank is three and has the skills necessary to meet the kindergarten criteria. Although I am sure he is gifted, I attribute his foundation to an environment where he is reading books each day and early learning is a priority. Let’s make Hank work a bit harder by bringing all of his peers up to his level regardless of economic status! What is happening across our country with Republican and Democratic leadership at the gubernatorial level is heartening. In 2016 a total of 23 Governors talked about the importance of school readiness in their State of the State addresses. There were many notable quotes but I liked what Governor Matt Bevin, R-Kentucky said “we have thousands of skilled jobs in this state that people are desperate to fill. We’ve got to address that and it is going to look like several things. It starts frankly at the …preschool, elementary, and secondary levels.”
This focus on education seems so basic. “An investment in knowledge pays the best dividends” – Benjamin Franklin saw it clearly. A Japanese Proverb reminds us “Better than a thousand days of diligent study is one day with a great teacher.” I could go on-but consider this Edward Everett quote, “education is a better safeguard of Liberty than a standing army.”
Hope you will get involved in the process this year and move quality education forward in Idaho. Happy New Year. – Mike