01-05-2025
Critchfield: Getting teachers to the right locale is the problem
May 1—Idaho doesn't have a teacher supply problem, Idaho has a teacher distribution problem, says Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield.
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.
