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Senate Education Committee hears reappointment candidate for Public Charter School Commission
Summary
Sherilyn Barrett, a current member of the Public Charter School Commission, introduced herself to the Senate Education Committee and described her work bridging traditional and charter schools; the committee did not vote on the reappointment and said it would likely act at a later meeting.
Sherilyn Barrett, a member of Idaho’s Public Charter School Commission from Firth, introduced herself to the Senate Education Committee and described her experience working in both traditional public schools and charter settings.
Barrett told the committee she was first appointed to the commission in 2016 and that her day job is as a librarian for Snake River School District. “I work in the traditional system,” she said, adding that she has also taught for Idaho Virtual Academy and that the mix of experiences “has been an honor to serve.”
The committee asked Barrett about challenges she has faced on the commission. She said the hardest decisions involve balancing policy or procedural requirements against individual student needs. “My guiding point is what is best for the student,” Barrett said, and she described one ethical situation in which following procedure conflicted with what she felt was best for students.
Barrett also explained why she believes charter and traditional systems can complement one another, pointing to examples such as differentiated classroom seating and allowing students to “work at their level rather than when their birth date is.” She said her superintendent supported her service on the commission and that her aim has been to show the two systems “we're not adversaries. We're all in this for what's best for the kids.”
No committee vote was taken on Barrett’s gubernatorial reappointment during the hearing. The chair told Barrett the committee would “probably vote on your nomination the following time we meet” and that staff would notify her when that vote was scheduled.
Barrett’s remarks occurred during the item listed as a gubernatorial reappointment; the committee did not deliberate further and took no formal action on the nomination at this meeting.
Looking ahead, the committee indicated it expected to consider Barrett’s nomination at a future meeting, but did not set a date during the session.
