Idaho Department of Education

Public Education is an ideal that Americans have maintained for hundreds of years. In Idaho, our public schools accept ALL youth and promote literacy, growth & grit. Our educated citizenry is an essential part of maintaining a healthy democratic republic. This #PublicSchoolsWeek we want to thank #educators, #families and every #Idahoan who helps ensure our kids are #literate, #logical & #informed. We also celebrate the #LocalControl and #SchoolChoice that keep #Idaho schools current, responsive & continuously optimized. #PSW24 #PublicSchoolProud #K12education

Julie Ellsworth, Treasurer for the State of Idaho since 2018, stopped by the Idaho Department of Education office this week to formally invite Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield to become an ambassador for the America250 celebrations in Idaho. Superintendent Critchfield's response was a resounding “Yes!” ?? https://lnkd.in/dvsizRxD America250 is a nationwide commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the United States, specifically the signing of the Declaration of Independence, which will take place in 2026. Join us on April 18 and 19, 2025, for the first Idaho event: the ??? Two Lights for Tomorrow ???celebration of Paul Revere’s famous ride!

Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield was in Caldwell this morning to participate in the Caldwell Chamber of Commerce 2025 Summit Series on Education. Caldwell Mayor Jarom Wagoner, AICP (pictured) introduced her and the topic of her keynote: ?????? ???????????????? ?????????????????? ???? ??????????????????: ???????????????????? ???????????????????? ?????? ????????????. Thank you to everyone who came together to "foster solutions that strengthen our schools and build a future-ready workforce."* ____ Instilling life and career skills in students is one of the Idaho Department of Education’s TOP FOUR goals, as set by Superintendent Critchfield. *Quote from event slide deck.

“As opportunities in STEM-related careers continue to grow in Idaho and nationwide, the work that these dedicated educators are doing has never been more vital—or more impactful—for our students and communities,” said Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield. The finalists are: ?? Nicole Anderson Priest River Lamanna HS, West Bonner County School Dist ?? Vicki Baker Timberline HS, Boise School District ?? Shelley Nash Independence Alternative HS, Blackfoot School District #55#55 ?? Rylee DeVito Riverglen Jr. HS, Boise School District ?? Tanya Elmer Borah HS, Boise School District ?? Amanda Harris Middleton MS, Middleton School District 134 ____ ?? https://lnkd.in/dqwaQ6w

We love our teachers!! Idaho’s 2025 CapEd Credit Union Teacher of the Year Heidi Cornell teaches third grade in the Lewiston School District... but she’s had some help over the past few years. Her school partners with the University of Idaho College of Education, Health and Human Sciences and Lewis-Clark State College to bring teaching interns into real classrooms for hands-on learning. The interns benefit by learning from seasoned educators in an unscripted environment, and the veteran teachers benefit from exposure to newer methods of classroom management, technology, reporting, etc. The students win most of all, though, as the relationships they build and interactions they observe allow them to see what it takes to become a teacher. “Students often want to be teachers after they have teacher interns in their class,” said Heidi. ____ Photos show Heidi Cornell next to Emmerson Cox, University of Idaho; Kendall Teichmer and Abby Frazier, Lewis-Clark State College. Kendall now teaches at Sacajawea Middle School in the Lewiston School District.

Superintendent Debbie Critchfield was honored to attend a ceremonial signing for a bill that will provide coverage of supplemental breast cancer screenings for those at heightened risk of breast cancer. ? Representative Brooke Green, a two-time breast cancer survivor, wrote and sponsored the bill. Many other lawmakers signed on as co-sponsors of the bill. Superintendent Critchfield, like so many other women, has personally battled breast cancer and the need for early and frequent screenings is a topic near and dear to her heart. Saving lives and protecting women is what’s at stake. Legislation like this will make medical imaging more affordable, which will help more women get screened. Thank you, Representative Green!

??? Kenneth J. Carberry Elementary School in the EMMETT INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT # 221 sent this sweatshirt and the following note to Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield for her T-Shirt Tuesday series! “We are proud to represent the Huskies and grateful for your leadership in supporting students, educators, and schools across the state. Thank you for your continued commitment to excellence in education,” wrote Principal Greg Alexander. Kenneth J. Carberry Elementary was founded in 2000 and enrolls around 500 students in grades K–5. The student-to-teacher ratio is 18 to 1. The school’s mission statement focuses on providing students opportunities to reach their potential so they can be productive, responsible citizens. We see your good work, little Huskies!! ???

Rigby High School has seen a 20 percent improvement in math scores over the past six years. Excerpt: Traditionally, a math lesson went like this: the teacher writes a formula on the board, shows students how to use it, then assigns practice problems to be completed in class or at home... Now, teachers begin the lesson with a question and encourage students to figure out how to solve it by experimenting. On a recent Tuesday, Teacher Emily Wasemiller asked students about different shapes’ interior angles, and prodded them to seek out patterns between the number of sides a shape has and the sum of those angles. Instead of working individually at their desks, students were up at the whiteboard, working in groups, drawing triangles within a polygon to think about its angles. They repeated that process with different shapes. And eventually, they arrived at the formula: (n – 2) 180, where n represents the number of a shape’s sides. ____ ?? Upending math classes in Rigby has been messy but worthwhile, by Carly Flandro with Idaho Ed News FULL ARTICLE: https://lnkd.in/g9WEnv-F

If you are interested in pursuing a teaching career, register for the free regional 2025 Educator Career Fair events—hosted by the Idaho Department of Education—to meet with representatives from Idaho public school districts and charters. https://lnkd.in/gqssqQQ ?? Meridian ?? Tuesday, April 1 ?? Idaho Falls ?? Wednesday, April 23 ?? Twin Falls ?? Thursday, April 24 ?? Coeur d'Alene ?? Tuesday, April 29 ?? Lewiston ?? Wednesday, April 30

**JOB OPENING** ?? Arts, Humanities, PE & Health Coordinator ?? $29.18 to $37.00 per hour ?? https://lnkd.in/gkBEFbPK ? Apply by April 4 Send this to a colleague or peer who may be interested, or apply yourself!