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State Department of Education leaders said Wednesday it’s business as usual, with just five months until a new state superintendent, two-term Superintendent Sherry Ybara, is fired.
Ybarra finished third in the three-person May Republican primary, losing to incumbent Debbie Critchfield and runner-up Brandon Durst. Voters will choose a new superintendent in the November general election, either Critchfield or Democrat Terry Gilbert. The new superintendent will begin a four-year term in January and lead SDE’s more than 130 employees.
But today, Ybarra and her staff are responsible for overseeing the education of 312,000 Idaho students.
“We’re focused on the tasks at hand,” said Marilyn Whitney, deputy superintendent of communications and policy.
The Department of Content and Curriculum is reviewing the math curriculum and preparing to present new physical and health standards to the State Board of Education in August. Following legislation signed by Gov. Brad Little in March, it is gathering resources and conducting professional development on dyslexia.
The Department of Federal Programs is “treading water” on emergency aid funds and reporting requirements for the funds.
SDE is busy reviewing budget requests, and preparing for the school year accordingly. Pre-pandemic policy on children’s nutrition and food, Whitney said.
Public information officer Christine Rodin said there have been only three staffing changes since the end of June. A communications specialist will retire at the end of this month, a move that was planned before the main bankruptcy, and two employees left the regional office to take federal jobs.
Days after Ybara took office in January 2015, she introduced a new five-person executive team. Yabara was taking over for then-Superintendent Tom Luna, who did not seek re-election. In the year After winning the November 2014 general election, Yabara worked with Luna and his 19-member transition team, which included several lawmakers and school district superintendents.
In early June, Ybara declined to be interviewed by EdNews about her future professional plans and her involvement in the leadership and staff transition at SDE.
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