Lisa Paulus appears before Senate Education Committee for Idaho Public Charter School Commission nomination; vote deferred

Lisa Paulus of Jerome, Idaho, appeared before the Idaho Senate Education Committee to introduce herself as the governor’s nominee to the Idaho Public Charter School Commission and answered committee members’ questions; the committee did not vote on her nomination at the meeting.

Paulus told the committee she grew up in Post Falls, graduated from Idaho State University with a political science degree, and has a background in radio station management and sales. She said she has served on the board of the Magic Valley Boys and Girls Club for 17 years and on its executive board for about 15 years.

Committee members asked Paulus about priorities and how she would address relations between charter schools and traditional public schools. Senator Cook asked what Paulus’s biggest asset would be; Paulus said, “My biggest asset is honestly in management and in business. ... I’m a good decision maker, and I’m a good manager.” On improving relations between charter and traditional schools, Paulus said, “I am a big believer in communication, and I’m a big believer in negotiation.”

Senator Ward Engelking asked whether Paulus would prioritize meeting the needs of students with additional resources; Paulus said her Boys and Girls Club experience focused on after-school programs for students who need extra help and emphasized treating “each child, each individual” as a person who learns differently. The committee chair said members would take her recommendation under consideration and that the committee would probably hold a vote at its next meeting.