Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Education topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Senate Education Committee hears gubernatorial reappointment for Public Charter School Commission
Summary
The Senate Education Committee considered a gubernatorial reappointment listed on the agenda as Sherilyn Baer; the person who appeared introduced herself as Cherilyn Barrett of Firth, Idaho, and described her experience on the Idaho Public Charter School Commission and in district libraries.
The Senate Education Committee met to consider a gubernatorial reappointment listed on the agenda as Sherilyn Baer. The person who appeared before the committee introduced herself as Cherilyn Barrett of Firth, Idaho, and said she was first appointed to the Idaho Public Charter School Commission in 2016.
Barrett told the committee she works in the traditional public-school system as a librarian for the Snake River School District and has served as the district's curriculum coordinator. She said that experience, combined with time at the Idaho Virtual Academy, has informed her work on the Public Charter School Commission and helped her advocate for collaboration between charter and traditional schools.
"One of the most challenging things has been to keep the focus on what's best for the student," Barrett said, describing how her guiding principle for difficult decisions on the commission is student interest over adult or system priorities.
Barrett gave examples of instructional models and practices she said highlight how charters and traditional schools can learn from one another: Waldorf and Montessori approaches, expeditionary and International Baccalaureate models, and classroom accommodations such as alternative seating for students who need to move. She said those differences reflect families choosing models that suit particular students rather than adversarial competition between systems.
Committee members asked about Barrett's background in both charter and district settings and about the commission's work. Senator Ward Engelking asked Barrett to describe her day job and how it informs her commission service; Barrett said being a librarian in a high-school–housed public library gives her a unique perspective on sharing resources between sectors.
The transcript shows the appointment was discussed and Barrett spoke at length, but the committee did not record a formal vote on the reappointment during the portion of the meeting on the transcript.
Barrett closed by reiterating her desire to continue serving on the commission and thanking the committee for the opportunity to appear.
