MY RECORD

I support Idaho students having an education that has value and we need quality standards for education. I signed the letter of intent to replace Common Core Standards in 2020, which prompted the establishment of the committee to create new academic standards in Idaho. The legislature passed these replacements and revisions in March of 2022.

March 18, 2020

Dear Idaho Senate and House Education Committees, Thank you for your letter of March 9th . We are committed to working with you to review Idaho’s content standards in a manner that reflects Idaho’s needs and values through a collaborative process with the Legislature, educators, parents and the public. We share your goal to seek compromise and agreement on the content standards.

Content Standards

The process to review content standards includes a review committee consisting of Idaho

educators with experience in the content area. At a minimum the committee will include both

elementary and secondary instructional staff as well as postsecondary faculty from four-year and

two-year institutions, public school administrators, and parents of school-aged children. We also

ask that you help us in identifying representatives from the Legislature to serve on each content review committee.

I am adamantly opposed to CRT. I led the movement to create the law in Idaho making it illegal for educators to purchase materials that support CRT. See 2021 House Bill 377.

https://legislature.idaho.gov/sessioninfo/2021/legislation/h0377/

Gender exploration and the over-sexualization of our children is unacceptable in Idaho schools. I will fight the Biden Administration’s policies and plans by working with our Attorney General to create aggressive legal protections for our kids.

I support school choice policies, public education and strongly support our rural schools. When I was the State Board of Education president, I worked with the Governor’s office to create the Strong Families, Strong Students program that gave money directly to parents and families to support their educational decisions.

https://www.hjnews.com/montpelier/thousands-of-idahoans-apply-for-strong-families-strong-students-funds/article_0d1d8b2c-d9cc-5cef-a4c1-50af655955f0.html

The Idaho Charter Network has endorsed me as a candidate for my work to further their innovation and remove government barriers.

I do not and have not ever supported mandates. I worked with school districts to get kids back in the classroom face-to-face instruction, with no mask mandates or vaccine mandates. Local decision making!

I worked with school districts and the Governor's office to open school sports back up to parents and the wider community in the winter of 2020-2021.

https://www.idahoednews.org/top-news/analysis-idaho-lands-ahead-of-the-national-curve-in-the-school-reopening-debate/

Item descriptionAs a State Board of Education member, I brought forward the change to remove the ISAT as the required test for graduation. Before I left the board, my recommendation was to remove the required SAT. The board followed the recommendation and the SAT is no longer required for graduation.

From the August 10-11, 2016 Board meeting minutes:

20. Temporary/Proposed Rule IDAPA 08.02.03, Rules Governing Thoroughness – Proficiency Graduation Requirement

M/S (Critchfield/Soltman): To approve changes to Proposed Rule IDAPA 08.02.03.105, Rules Governing Thoroughness, Graduation Requirement Proficiency, as submitted in Attachment 1. The motion carried 7-1. Ms. Atchley voted nay on the motion.

I worked with the Governor and legislature to add to our career ladder to attract and retain quality teachers.

https://www.idahoednews.org/top-news/k-12-education-task-force-narrows-focus-to-five-recommendations/

I led the efforts to rewrite our required state plan to focus on Idaho students, not the federal government.

https://understandingessa.org/idahos-state-board-of-educators-rethinks-accountability-goals/

OR

https://www.idahoednews.org/news/education-groups-dissect-federal-essa-plan/