The Idaho Spending Index examines appropriation bills on several fronts to add some important context to lawmakers’ discussions as the spending bills are considered on the House and Senate floors. As we look at the budget, we consider the following issues:
Does the agency requesting these funds serve a proper role of government? Has wasteful or duplicative spending been identified within the agency, and if so, has that spending been eliminated or corrected? Have budget-writers reviewed existing outlays to look for opportunities to contain spending, e.g., through a base reduction? If there is a maintenance budget, is that maintenance budget appropriate? Are the line items appropriate in type and size, and are they absolutely necessary for serving the public? Does the budget contemplate adding new employees or programs? Does the appropriation increase dependency on the federal government?
Our analysis is intended to provide lawmakers and their constituents with a frame of reference for conservative budgeting, by summarizing whether appropriation measures contain items that are truly objectionable or legitimate and worthy of support.
Bill Description: A FY21 supplemental for $5.98 million for the Office of the State Board of Education for a grant.
Rating: -1
Note: S1193 is a bill that replaces H226, a very similar bill that failed in the House. This bill authorizes an extra $100 and adds language on the use of funds:
“USE OF FUNDS. Moneys appropriated in Section 1 of this act for the Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five Renewal shall not be used to dictate curricula for use by local collaboratives.”
This added language does not address the concerns expressed with the organization that is the grant recipient - as noted with H226.
This supplemental allows the State Board of Education (SBOE) to partner with a private organization, The Idaho Association for the Education of Young Children (IDAEYC) to provide education resources for young children.
Is it appropriate to link the state board with a private organization in the education of young children? This question should be asked regardless of the organization. And in this case, the private organization partners with a parent organization, the National Association for Education Young Children (NAEYC), a left-wing institution that promotes the teaching of divisive theories like social justice ideology and critical race theory to very young children. The IDAEYC, for example, encourages teachers to read “About Chris,” by Nina Benedetto to students age 5-7. It is a book on transgenderism. The IDAEYC even promotes books like “White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism,” by Robin DiAngelo and Michael Dyson to parents. The IDAEYC promotes “Anti-Bias” teacher training, which focuses on making white children aware of their supposedly inherent bias against black students. The IDAEYC has claimed they do not adhere to the same radical agenda as the NAEYC. Yet the 2019 conference webpage recommended teachers read about NAEYC’s article “Moving Beyond Anti-Bias Activities: Supporting the Development of Anti-Bias Practices.''
This is unnecessary spending that will promote teaching cynical theories to very young children.
