REXBURG— Debbie Critchfield, Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction, wrote an op-ed titled “Critchfield: Supporting Our Students Doesn’t Have to be Complicated.” She released the piece on Jan. 4.
In an interview with BYU-Idaho Radio, Critchfield said that Idaho schools need to get back to the basics.
“What do we want our students to be able to know and do? How do we make our Idaho high school diploma count? We want that to matter,” Critchfield said. “I just think it's time to get back to basics. If we're going to really help our kids, then we need to make sure that they can read. We want to make sure that they can do something.”
The state of Idaho does fairly well when it comes to subjects like reading, she says. But math proficiency has seen a decline in productivity. Critchfield says to change this downward trend, she wants to develop what is going to be called essential math standards.
“I can confidently say that I did not use the quadratic equation yesterday, and it's not looking like I'm probably going to use it today. But for many students, they do use that every day,” Critchfield said. “So, we're having a conversation with our friends at the State Board of Education about developing what I'm going to call essential math standards that focus on those basic elements of math that every student should have proficiency and knowledge about before they go on to the next grade.”
Another concern for Critchfield is the civics department. Going back to the basics will also involve a focus on civics education.
“And then the last thing that I would mention in this back to basics that I hear frequently and again agree with, focuses on civics education,” she said. “Do our kids understand the three branches of government? What do elections mean? How does the local compare with the federal, with the state? I believe more and more our communities expect that our students develop a love for our country and that they understand what it means to be a citizen and to contribute back.”
Critchfield says if Idaho’s students can read and do basic math when they graduate, it will help their own lives and allow them to contribute to the community they live in.
“It's not just an individual benefit, but it's something that benefits all of us,” she says.