
Critchfield: Getting teachers to the right locale is the problem
Critchfield and staff were at Lewis-Clark State College on Wednesday to run an Educator Career Fair, which she hoped would help rural and remote schools attract students.
"Lewiston and Coeur d'Alene have less trouble attracting teachers than Kamiah and Orofino and some of the more off-the-beaten-path districts," Critchfield said.
Fair attendance was light, but all seven of the school districts represented — from Desmet in the north to Council in the south — had quality chats with people handing out resumes.
One nearly-minted teacher is actually hunting for a more rural post.
"I feel ready to go," said Taylor Wilkinson, 22, who graduates this month with an elementary education and special education degree from LCSC.
Wilkinson has earned her confidence from LCSC's education program. She has already taught at three different schools through a lengthy student teaching program.
"We stand out because we do a full year of student teaching," she said.
Wilkinson could be just what a school like the Coeur d'Alene Tribal School in Desmet needs.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


CBS News
08-08-2025
- CBS News
Pittsburgh firefighters hit the streets for another year of the "Fill The Boot" campaign
If you're driving around the Pittsburgh area today, chances are you'll see firefighters holding up a boot at several intersections, and it's not because they're missing a shoe; they're hoping you'll help. They're filling the boots to raise money for children with muscular dystrophy. "We collect for muscular dystrophy, it's a great cause, and all the money stays here to benefit kids," said Captain Chuck Lewis of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire. It's a part of a tradition that has been going strong since 1954, when the International Association of Firefighters made the Muscular Dystrophy Association its official charity. "Twenty years now, and my father used to do it, and my grandfather used to do it," Lewis said. "He started this in the Pittsburgh area back in 1959." That legacy is still going strong on the streets. "I'm just interested in helping out our community," said Elizabeth Cook, one of the many who donated at an intersection during the day. You'll likely see these firefighters around the city all day waving boots at drivers, pedestrians, and anyone else who passes by. If you don't have spare change in the cupholder, there's another way to donate. "Feel free to scan the QR code, it gives you a little background on who MDA is, it's for a good cause, and helps many adults and children with MD," Lewis explained. So, if you see a firefighter holding a boot, whether it's cash, change, or scanning the QR code, every dollar counts.

Boston Globe
17-07-2025
- Boston Globe
Caribbean American community advocates recognized at the second annual State House breakfast
Advertisement 'We are here to accentuate the excellence that we see in the room and to never forget that,' said Kwame Elias, the Director of Community Outreach at Boston Caribbean American Association. 'Without unity, there can be no community.' Boston is home to one of the largest Caribbean communities in the country. The city's Caribbean population has grown by 212 percent since 1980, with the three largest countries of origin being the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Haiti, according to Boston's Planning Department. Governor Maura Healey and Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll, whose mother was born in Grenada and raised in Trinidad, also made appearances. Healey handed the first award to Joyce Stanton, Advertisement Stanton's 'happiness, spirit, and joy are just infectious,' Healey said. 'Congratulations to all of today's awardees,' Healey said during her speech. 'Our administration stands shoulder to shoulder with all the work you're doing.' Chrylann Barrett-Lewis, and Bay Cove Human Services, an organization that supports people with mental health challenges and substance use. When she first found out that she was nominated for the award, she was surprised. She joked that she thought the notification was a 'spam email.' The Boston Caribbean American Association had circulated a form where community members could nominate people they believe elevated the Caribbean experience in the Commonwealth. Afterwards, the board decided on the honorees. Regardless of her initial reaction, Barrett-Lewis, a first-generation Jamaican, said the award is a testament to the strides the Caribbean American community has made. 'It means everything to be able to see representation and to see other folks from the Caribbean making a life,' Barrett-Lewis said. 'A lot of folks leave their original home to come to the United States to make a 'better life.'' The award ceremony comes in the midst of a tense political climate for the Caribbean community. Last September, President Trump repeated baseless claims that undocumented Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, were 'eating the dogs.' Melodie Levy, an honoree from North Attleborough, said the Trump presidency feels 'heavy.' 'Even though we are lawyers, doctors, teachers and other professionals, we're not seen as that,' Levy said. 'I hate the word 'aliens.' It just irks me.' Advertisement The Caribbean population has been in Boston for over a century — but only in the past decades has the community started to see Caribbean faces in top political positions. The Boston Caribbean American Association, which officially formed in 2024, has made progress in 'getting stakeholders to take the Caribbean community much more seriously,' Elias said. Denna Mary Gilot, who also works with the organization, emphasized cohesion among the Caribbean communities, which encompasses 13 countries. Though there's different islands, opinions, and dialects, it's about 'unity at the end of the day,' she said. In the upcoming years, the organization hopes to continue advocating for a cultural district and a 'big, welcoming community center' for the Caribbean community — the same way that there's a Chinatown for Chinese immigrants and the North End for Italian immigrants, Elias said. 'Every other immigrant community has a place that they call home. We don't,' Elias said. '(The Caribbean community) is very scattered in our different pockets, in our different neighborhoods.' With the ceremony in its second year, organizers hope to keep the momentum going. 'Hats off to the team, to everyone,' Elias said. 'Here's to year number three.' Jessica Ma can be reached at
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Yahoo
Concern over future of UK's only council-run abattoir
Concerns have been raised about the future of the UK's only local authority-run abattoir. Overall use of the Comhairle nan Eilean Siar-operated facility in Stornoway, Lewis, has fallen since 2018 and last year it failed to meet its £184,000 income target. A report to the comhairle's transport and infrastructure committee said the shortfall would need to be met from the local authority's municipal services budget. Lochs councillor Angus Morrison urged crofters to use the abattoir or risk losing it, but he also raised some concerns fees for the service were to rise by 5%. The committee heard that some crofters were slaughtering livestock at home, rather than putting the animals to the abattoir. It was told there had been a decline in sheep numbers in the isles, which could also be affecting throughput at the facility. More stories from the Highlands and Islands News from the Highlands and Islands on BBC Sounds Mr Morrison told the committee: "We have to put a message out to the users that it is either use it or lose it as far as the abattoir is concerned." He added: "I don't think we're doing much good by putting an increase of 5% on the kill charges but I do understand that that has to happen." Slaughter fees for a sheep will rise to about £44. Loch a Tuath councillor Donald Crichton said crofters were being discouraged from increasing their sheep stock due to bureaucracy around farming. Last year, the comhairle used £50,000 of Crown Estate funding to support the abattoir. A saving of about £14,000 was also achieved by opening the site later in the year. Reporting by local democracy reporter Peter Urpeth. Comhairle nan Eilean Siar