Why Idaho Has One of the Worst Early Educational Systems
School is beginning soon and for many parents, it means there is much to do. Getting supplies, doing to school clothes shopping, and getting back to a normal sleeping schedule. There is a lot to be done to get ready for school, and for those that have little ones, they are preparing for their children to go to pre-school and kindergarten for the first time. While many parents hate to see their little ones grow up, it is also exciting to see them learn new things. Living in Idaho, a question must be asked, are our children getting a good early education? How does Idaho compare to other states?
The Best and Worst States for Early Education
Starting a child's education is important so they don't start behind their peers once they start school, but some states offer more than others and give children more of an advantage. A list recently released by WalletHub, ranked the states by best early educational systems to the worst. They used three main categories to do so, which are resources and economic support, quality, and access. Based on these criteria, it was determined that Arkansas has the best early educational system. The second best was Nebraska, with Maryland coming in at third. Arkansas was number one in quality, with Washington DC being number one in access and Oregon in resources and economic support. The state with the worst early educational system is Indiana, just ahead of North Dakota and Missouri.
Does Idaho Off Good Early Education?
When it comes to early education in Idaho, it is the seventh worst state, coming in at 45 out of a possible 51 on the list. Idaho ranks 39 in access, 26 in quality, and 44 in resources and economic support. Idaho ranks 50 out 51 in shares of kids enrolled in early education. While access to early education is as strong as many states, it is accessible, but Idahoans do not seem to be taking advantage of what is offered. Another thing working against Idaho in early education is that they tie for dead last when it comes to money spent on children enrolled in preschool. If the funding isn't there, then children in Idaho fall behind and suffer compared to other states.
While early education is not thriving in Idaho, the quality of the schools is average. Lack of access to them is hurting early education for our children, but when the money isn't matching other states, it is easy to see why. Keep your kid at home and help them yourself, hire a private nanny that can tutor them, or try out a preschool, the choice is yours. Something has to change to help children in Idaho get a better start in their education.