Debbie Critchfield secures victory, will be Idaho’s next state superintendent
Republican Debbie Critchfield secured an insurmountable lead Tuesday night over her opponent in the race to be Idaho’s top education official.
With all counties reporting, Critchfield, the former president of the State Board of Education, secured 69.8% of the votes in the race for superintendent of public instruction. Democrat Terry Gilbert, a former teacher and president of the Idaho Education Association, received 30.2%.
The superintendent of public instruction leads the State Department of Education and holds a seat on the State Board of Education. Superintendents are elected for four-year terms.
Incumbent Sherri Ybarra, who has served in the role for nearly eight years, lost to Critchfield in the Republican primary in May.
The election comes as school districts across the state continue to deal with issues ranging from teacher shortages and underqualified teachers, to a lack of school support staff, lasting impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic and aging facilities. The new superintendent will also assume office as the Legislature decides how to allocate the $330 million lawmakers put toward K-12 education during a special session earlier this year.
In a speech as results were coming in, Critchfield vowed to continue to fight for students and families across Idaho.
“We’ve had a motto along the way, which is, ‘Can’t stop, won’t stop,’ ” she said during the Election Night speech. “That’s not going to change in office. It’s not going to change tomorrow. We’re going to continue to push, we’re going to continue to plan and to create the best conditions for our kids, our parents, our teachers, our communities and all of you.”
Gilbert said it had been an honor to represent the Democratic Party and public education throughout the election.
“I thank the countless supporters who believed in the heart of our campaign: public education as the cornerstone of American democracy,” Gilbert said in a statement to the Idaho Statesman. “It has been an honor and a joy to meet so many Idahoans who share this vision, and I look forward to the next generation of leaders who will continue the fight for flourishing public schools that our students, families and communities deserve.”
Candidates clashed on school choice, experience
Throughout the election, the candidates debated issues including whether taxpayer dollars should be used to help residents pay for private schools and what makes each candidate qualified for the position.
Critchfield has said her experience on the State Board of Education, including her time serving during the COVID-19 pandemic, has given her a deep understanding of the challenges schools are facing. She said she understands the role and has experience working with the Idaho Legislature.
Her priorities include ensuring the state prepares students to enter the workforce and decentralizing the Department of Education so it better serves local school districts.
She said she also supports school choice, which is defined by the State Department of Education as letting parents choose the “method of education” that best fits their families. It is often used as a way to refer to the idea of letting public funds follow students to private schools.
She previously told the Statesman her first obligation as superintendent would be to public schools. While she would not specifically take from the public schools’ budget, she said she would be open to the conversation of “how we address the private school tuition.”
Gilbert had said his time as a teacher gave him an understanding of what teachers experience in the classroom and made him a good candidate for the role. His priorities, he said, included increasing funding for vocational education programs, investing in quality early childhood education, improving the state’s graduation rates, maintaining school buildings, addressing the state’s literacy rates and treating teachers and support staff “as the professionals they are.”
He was particularly outspoken throughout the campaign against using public funds for private schools. He repeatedly used the term “voucher vultures” to refer to groups who spread rumors about public schools and push private schools and said his opponent wouldn’t be an advocate for public education.
This story was originally published November 8, 2022 at 8:00 PM.
