News Releases


– Planning for Success July 17, 2023

(BOISE) – Often in our professional lives, when we take time to reflect on our work, we realize there are few things we’ve done perfectly. With the benefit of this hindsight, we realize we could have done more towards our efforts to reach our goals. Such is the case when I think back to my service as a board member for the Cassia School District nearly twenty years ago. I got better at that responsibility each year, but I can’t help but feel there were areas I could have emphasized that would have strengthened our commitment to student growth and achievement.

– Critchfield: Helping Schools Select Quality, Effective Curriculum is on the Agenda June 29, 2023

(BOISE) – What our students learn and how it is presented is important to parents, communities and Idahoans. The materials used in classrooms - referred to as curriculum - are selected by locally elected school trustees in a process laid out in state law. These statutes require that the process is open to the community and that chosen materials align with state learning standards. As an example, standards require students to learn about the Civil War in 11th grade. A local board then selects the materials used to teach the lessons.

– Empowering Parents Advisory Panel to Meet Thursday May 30, 2023

(BOISE) – The Empowering Parents Parent Advisory Panel will hold its first meeting this Thursday, June 1 from 9 a.m. – noon MT. The meeting will be held at the State Board of Education office on the third floor of 650 W. State Street in Boise. Members of the public interested in viewing the meeting can tune in to the State Department of Education’s public streaming page at https://www.youtube.com/@SDEIdaho.

– Wilder School District Recognized as Nation’s Best Student-Run Animation Studio May 22, 2023

(BOISE) – Students and staff in the Wilder School District will be honored tomorrow, May 23 for the distinction of having the “#1 Student-Run Animation Studio” in the country. The event will feature a reception followed by a screening of Wilder School District student film, “The Return of Oz,” at the legendary Egyptian Theatre in Boise.

– Registration Now Open for the 2023 Idaho Indian Education Summit April 28, 2023

(BOISE) – The Idaho State Board of Education’s Idaho Indian Education Committee and the State Department of Education’s Office of Indian Education are set to host this year’s Idaho Indian Education Summit, “Tribal Traditions: Designing STEM Through Place, Language and Purpose.

– Opinion: Post-Leg Tour About Service & Connecting with School Leaders April 26, 2023

(BOISE) – For the last two weeks, I’ve crisscrossed Idaho with members of my team to visit school leaders all around the state. This is an annual State Department of Education practice and its timing is deliberate. This ‘post-legislative roadshow’ is held soon after the end of Idaho’s annual legislative session and is meant to share with local district leaders the changes made to education policy and how those new laws will affect their teachers, students, budgets and operations.

SDE's Transportation Department Raises Awareness on Epilepsy with “Purple Day” Campaign April 10, 2023

(BOISE) – The State Department of Education’s Student Transportation department has partnered with international epilepsy awareness campaign, “Purple Day,” to bring schools and districts free resources and trainings on how to best support student riders with epilepsy and brain trauma.

– Media Advisory: Critchfield, SDE to Hold Six Post-Legislative Sessions April 11-20 April 7, 2023

(BOISE) – Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield and the State Department of Education will hold six post-legislative sessions across the state between April 11 and 20. The events will provide local school leaders a chance to hear from the superintendent and SDE staff regarding changes made to education law during the Idaho legislature’s 2023 session.

– Superintendent Critchfield Completes Hiring for SDE Director Roles with Three New Appointments April 5, 2023

(BOISE) – Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield is excited to welcome a new Director of Assessment and Accountability, Director of Student Transportation and Director of School Choice & Student Engagement. These appointments serve to fill all remaining vacant director positions following staff changes made after the department’s January transition.

– Critchfield to Discuss CTE's Role in Addressing North Idaho Workforce Shortage February 6, 2023

(BOISE) – Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield will visit the Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) Fire Cache in Coeur d’Alene this week. The cache is central to Idaho’s annual firefighting efforts by supplying firefighters with essential equipment. However, the cache faces challenges recruiting skilled workers based on a gap in the regional workforce.

SDE Seeks Sponsors for 2023 Summer Food Service Program January 25, 2023

(BOISE) – The Child Nutrition Division of the Idaho State Department of Education (SDE) is seeking sponsors for this year’s Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). The SFSP provides free meals and snacks to children ages 1-18 by operating sites located in low-income areas during the summer months.

– High school seniors sought for the 2023 National Youth Science Camp January 12, 2023

(BOISE) – Applications are now being accepted from high school juniors and seniors in the classes of 2023 and 2024 to represent Idaho at the 2023 National Youth Science Camp (NYSCamp). Two students from each state, Washington D.C. and select countries will attend the all-expenses-paid program, held from June 19 – July 12.