Last week the Idaho House killed a bill that would allow the State Board of Education to receive nearly $6 million in federal grants for early childhood education and child care. A group of mostly women protested this rejection and are trying to pressure the legislature to change their mind and accept the grant funding. But what kind of programs are dependent on this money? And how do these programs contribute to improving education in Idaho?
Idaho Matters talks with three people who help manage early education collaboratives in the state: Wendy Johnson from Kuna, Felice Otero with the United Way of Eastern Idaho, and Andrew Metzer with the West Central Mountains Economic Development Council. Idaho Statesman opinion editor Scott McIntosh also joins the show to talk about the politics behind the legislature's resistence to accepting this funding.
