The self-proclaimed education governor has refused to support a federal grant application for early childhood education by the Children’s Cabinet. The grant would not require any cost-sharing or matching funds from the state.

“’Kansas, with the help of the Children’s Cabinet and their multiple partners – KU Center for Public Partnerships and Research, the state Department of Education, the Department for Children and Families, Child Care Aware of Kansas, and the Kansas Head Start Association – would have made a dynamite team for putting together a quality and competitive application for bringing additional resources into Kansas,’ Erick Vaughn, executive director at the Kansas Head Start Association, wrote in an email.

“[Jonathan] Freiden said the decision not to apply for a Race to the Top grant was part of election-year politics.

“’This is about the governor and his people not wanting to risk being seen taking money from Washington and touching Obama at a time when they’re running against someone they’re painting as an Obama liberal,’ he said. ‘They’re putting politics above kids.’”

http://www.khi.org/news/2014/sep/16/governors-office-halts-application-early-childhood/