Over the last year…

Two of the things that make me most proud in the last year are chairing the statewide committee to get schools reopened, with a priority of in person instruction. And then working to get parents and spectators safely into gyms and on the field.

Over the last seven years, I have been an appointed member of the Idaho Board of Education, serving the most recent two years as president. As a Board of Education member, I led the change to remove required high-stakes testing for high school students. I guided efforts to develop the Idaho accountability plan that includes emphasis on reading and math in the lower grades and workforce readiness in high school. I helped develop an alternate pathway to certify teachers to encourage talented business professionals and others to enter the classroom. I was a member of the Governor's K-12 Education Council. I focused on school readiness, literacy, behavioral needs for students, and a more precise alignment of state and district goals. As a co-chair for Governor Little's Education Task Force, I led a statewide discussion about how we drive literacy. I have championed career technical pathways for High School students, worked on a review of graduation requirements, which included a financial literacy component. In my local school district, I developed a behavioral health program designed to point parents to resources to help their students outside of the school system.

I have created relationships with business and industry, education stakeholders, legislators, parents and student leaders in the state. One of my greatest strengths is the ability to bring people together to work toward a goal and objective.