Tuesday afternoon Montana Superintendent of Public Instruction Denise Juneau announced that her office is getting a $6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

The millions are part of the federal Early Reading First grant, and will be used to “help more Montana young children learn to read at an early age,” according to the news release. The money will be used by the Montana Partnership for Early Literacy to help an estimated 400 Montana children learn to read at a young age.

The partnership consists of OPI and five preschool centers, none of them in Missoula. Those preschools are: Evergreen District Special Services Preschool, Fort Belknap Head Start, Great Falls Preschool Center, Great Falls Head Start, and Hardin Pre-K Center. The partnership lists its four main goals as: “graduation with high achievement levels in literacy skills, classroom materials and spatial arrangements to support literacy development, high levels of instructional proficiency for teachers, and successful transitions into K-3 programs.”

“This grant will forge great partnerships between OPI and the early childhood community,” Juneau said in the release. “Working together on early childhood language acquisition and literacy in these partner schools and communities will bear lasting rewards as the students gain the necessary skills that will set them on the path to academic success and high school graduation.”

Right on. Language and literacy are incredibly important, especially at the preschool age, and $6 million will buy a lot of copies of “Goodnight Moon.”

- MM

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Missoulian State Bureau reporter – and mom – Jennifer McKee is currently investigating and planning to write a story on a subject of particular interest to Missoula Mom: child care.

From the sketch McKee’s drawn for me, it promises to be a fascinating article. It would be more fascinating still if some readers of this blog were willing to share their stories. For starters, I know some of you recently underwent the harrowing experience of trying to find a new day care after it looked like the Growing Place was going to close (that was before the YMCA agreed to take it over).

So I hope you’re willing to take a minute to contact McKee. She can be reached at (406) 447-4069 or at jennifer.mckee@lee.net.

- Missoula Mom

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First up, the Missoulian has continuing coverage of the debate over whether to raise tuition for Montana’s universities. The Governor says to hold the line; the universities say they need more money or they’ll have to make cuts.

Next, Kathy Dufresne of Stevensville is named the Montana Association of Gifted and Talented Education 2009 Teacher of the Year.

Speaking of gifted and talented, my 4-year-old has now been on a waiting list for a two-day-a-week preschool slot for three blasted months now. What gives?

- Tyler Christensen

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This story in today’s Missoulian made me wonder if somebody in Missoula could find a similar foundation to help support the Growing Place, which is still expected to close in late June.

- Tyler Christensen

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The Growing Place is a much-loved child care facility in Missoula in danger of shutting down. A group of dedicated parents is doing all they can to find someone to keep the place running. Here’s the fully story, and here’s how to help:

Anyone interested in assuming ownership of the Growing Place child development center can send an application to Growing Place (attention Nanette Melzer), 2683 Suite A Palmer St., Missoula, MT 59808. Applications must be received by 3 p.m. Thursday. For more information, contact Growing Place director Nanette Melzer at (406) 728-1243 or nanettem@esgw.org.

Help spread the word!

- Tyler Christensen

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From the Missoulian:

Missoula County Public Schools has openings in its preschool classes this fall at Jefferson School.

Classes will begin Sept. 2. Parents are encouraged to register their child as soon as possible. Morning or afternoon sessions are available on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Morning sessions are from 8:45 to 11:15 a.m., and afternoon sessions are from 12:30 to 3 p.m.

The MCPS Early Education Preschool Program offers a literacy-based, developmentally appropriate curriculum that serves children with and without disabilities who have turned age 3 by March 1, but are not of kindergarten age.

All classes are taught by Montana-certified teachers with extensive preschool experience. Tuition is $78 per month. Preschool students must live within the MCPS elementary district boundaries to be eligible to enroll.

For more information or to register, call Char Klofstad, 728-2400, Ext. 1090, or visit the district Administration Building, 215 S. 6th W., between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.

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