CDA Reporter

– Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield said she’s pleased with Governor Brad Little’s continued focus on education in today’s State of the State address. “I’m appreciative of Governor Little’s continued commitment to public education, and I look forward to partnering with him and legislators on developing an education budget that delivers for Idaho’s students, parents, educators and schools,” Critchfield said. Specifically, Critchfield supports Governor Little’s budget proposal to use a portion of the $330 million in new education funding to pay for school support staff, as well as being fully aligned in making the Empowering Parents program permanent and focusing additional resources on school safety. 

Critchfield said she also shares the Governor’s vision for continuing to make teacher pay more competitive with that of neighboring states. “Additionally, my top priority for the new education funding is creating more Career and Technical Education opportunities that will help level the playing field between Idaho’s rural and larger school districts,” Critchfield added. Critchfield said her Idaho State Department of Education budget proposal also includes enhanced support for parental engagement. 

“As Governor Little reiterated today, Idaho parents and families have incredible opportunities for selecting the best education option for their students, with the least number of restrictions,” Critchfield said. “One of my priorities for the State Department of Education is to better connect parents with these available resources and opportunities specific to their child.” Critchfield said in addition to her emphasis on career readiness, she’s also focused on supporting skills across K-12 education, including early literacy, grades 5-8 math, financial literacy and dyslexia support. 

Original source can be found here.