Debbie Critchfield
Debbie Critchfield (Republican Party) is the Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction. She assumed office on January 2, 2023. Her current term ends on January 4, 2027.
Critchfield (Republican Party) ran for election for Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction. She won in the general election on November 8, 2022.
Critchfield completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Debbie Critchfield was born in Ogden, Utah. Critchfield earned a bachelor's degree from Brigham Young University in 1993. Her career experience includes working as the public information officer for the Cassia County School District.[1]
Elections
2022
See also: Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction election, 2022
General election
General election for Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction
Debbie Critchfield defeated Terry Gilbert in the general election for Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Debbie Critchfield (R) | 69.8 | 404,549 | |
| Terry Gilbert (D) | 30.2 | 175,076 | ||
| Total votes: 579,625 | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction
Terry Gilbert advanced from the Democratic primary for Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction on May 17, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Terry Gilbert | 100.0 | 31,868 | |
| Total votes: 31,868 | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction
Debbie Critchfield defeated Branden Durst and incumbent Sherri Ybarra in the Republican primary for Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction on May 17, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Debbie Critchfield | 39.7 | 105,070 | |
| Branden Durst | 33.8 | 89,451 | ||
| Sherri Ybarra | 26.6 | 70,431 | ||
| Total votes: 264,952 | ||||
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Campaign themes
2022
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Debbie Critchfield completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Critchfield's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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I am the former President of the Idaho State Board of Education and seven-year board member. I served as Chair of the Policy and Planning Committee, and the Instructional, Research and Student Affairs Committee. I was a member of the State's Accountability and Oversight committee and chaired the Board’s Audit Committee. I was Co-Chair to Governor Little’s Education Task Force and committee chair for Governor Otter’s Higher Education Task Force. I served as a school board member in Cassia County for ten years, five as chair, and was on the executive committee for the Idaho School Board's Association as a regional chair. I chaired the Re-Opening Idaho Schools committee and was a member of Governor Little's K-12 council. Adding to my long service in education, I served on Idaho's dual credit and technology task forces. Active in my community, I am a former Library Trustee, Arts Council president and Republican precinct chairman. I worked for the College of Southern Idaho as a GED instructor and have been the Public Information Officer for Cassia School District for the last 9 years. I started my journey in education as a substitute teacher for 6 years. My husband, David, and I are a fourth-generation farm family. We live in Oakley, where we raised our four children. We are proud grandparents to two little boys.
- Developing Skills/Job Ready: Our students must be prepared to meet the demands of the 21st century. That means access to the skills, resources and credentials that are needed to not only succeed, but to thrive. We are responsible for developing self-governing adults who can manage their personal and financial decisions. I believe emphasizing and expanding our career and technical training is how we educate for independence. We want students who can create, think, and solve problems.
- Required Graduation Class for Financial Literacy: One of the priority pieces of my overall vision for Idaho students rests on skills development for job readiness and a focus on personal finance, also known as financial literacy. Our kids need to be taught how taxes, health insurance, credit scores, interest, and loans work, among other important financial skills. The time to learn about retirement plans should be before our students enter the workforce, not when they realize they need one several years into their careers. These are different skills than what is presented in an algebra or economics class and they apply to each and every student, regardless of their decisions after graduation.
- Parent Engagement: Strengthening the role and responsibility of parents has to include providing meaningful opportunities for parent participation in the decision-making of their child’s education at home and at school. What would happen if we empowered parents to engage in their child's learning, while supporting the professional educator? We would spark a generation of skilled and confident learners ready for the opportunities around them.
Workforce Readiness
Literacy
Math Readiness
Education touches on everything. It's how we develop our future leaders. It's how we maintain our Republic. Education is not an outcome. It’s the way in which we prepare our students and protect our form of government. The State Superintendent must lead in these efforts and support good local decision making. The State Superintendent has a duty to follow the Constitutional role and be the first advocate and champion for quality education.
I look up to people who are honest and kind. I admire someone who knows how to lead with grace and still get the job done.
Honesty
Transparency
Shows Up
Problem Solver
I am a problem solver. I listen to understand and then act. I am thoughtful about my approach and seek input. I am not ego driven and hold everyone around me and myself to a high standard. I respect people and when I disagree can still show respect. I am a worker. I am the first to show up and the last to leave. I am a leader that others want to work with. I am honest with high integrity. I don't look to be expedient, I seek to do right.
I remember my parents being very worried about Jimmy Carter becoming president. I was 7 or 8 and this seemed very concerning to me since they were so upset about it. I remember talking to my friends about it and they looked at me like I was from Mars!
I was the neighborhood babysitter! I was the oldest of 5 children and had lots of experience to share. I did this until I could drive and then started working at a frozen yogurt shop.
I always loved Nancy Drew! She was smart and knew who she was, what her talents were and wasn't afraid to follow her instincts. She had reliable friends and a supportive parent. I felt a kinship in some ways to her. I loved reading about her adventures and her perseverance to find the truth.
I experienced cancer about 10 years ago. I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I had 18 months of treatment that included a bi-lateral mastectomy, chemo, radiation and reconstruction. I learned strength and resolve in ways that I never thought possible.
Establish and carry out a vision
Advocate for Students
Advocate for Parents
Develop relationships of trust
Partner for strong local decision making
Support
Direct resources
Prioritize Goals
I do because experience, where it counts, leads to improved results.
Leadership
Experience
Honesty
Hardworking
Listening
Action Oriented
Collaborative
Problem Solver
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
See also
| Idaho | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
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External links
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Candidate Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction |
Officeholder Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on March 15, 2022.
| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by Sherri Ybarra (R) |
Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction 2023-Present |
Succeeded by - |
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State of Idaho Boise (capital) |
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