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Meet Terry
Terry Gilbert is a life-long educator – a teacher, a mentor, and a tireless public education advocate. Born and raised in Oregon, he was the first in his family to go to college. After graduating from Northwest Nazarene in Nampa, he began his career in rural Idaho schools, and for 45 years has been immersed in education at all levels, from elementary school through college.
Although Terry Gilbert had already earned a degree in Education, he really knew he was a teacher when he saw the students in his classroom began to learn. Gilbert has served Idaho’s students in in many roles, including 14 years as a classroom teacher. The members of the Idaho Education Association recognized Gilbert’s commitment to public education and elected him President. Continuing to develop his professional expertise, Gilbert earned a Master of Arts in Curriculum Development. Gilbert’s commitment to service extends beyond the classroom to the community through his longtime membership and leadership in the Rotary Club.
Terry has been married to Carolyn, who had her own career as an educator, since 1969. They have two adult children: Cy, a photographer based in Boise, and Tavia, a performer/producer based in New York.
All Idahoans have a stake in our public schools. They are the heart and soul of our communities: they educate our young people, drive our economy, and protect democracy. I am a staunch advocate for K-12 schools, vocational education, and our colleges and universities.
If we have not met yet, allow me to introduce myself. I am a life-long educator – a teacher, a mentor and a public education advocate. I was the first in my family to go to college, and worked various jobs to support myself, from paper boy in our communities to choke setter in the woods. After graduation, I began my career in rural Idaho schools, and for 45 years I have been immersed in education at all levels. I am still in touch with many of my former students.
Public schools are the heartbeat of Idaho’s communities, and strong communities start with strong schools. I am running for State Superintendent of Public Instruction to give a voice to Idaho parents, teachers, students, and everyone who is tired of the Idaho Legislature year after year shirking its Constitutional mandate to adequately fund our public schools, even after the courts ordered them to.
I am also running to see that public dollars stay in public schools. I strongly oppose the so-called “parents’ choice” movement that seeks to replace public schools with for-profit private schools. Idahoans already have choice in education; this is a ploy by out-of-state corporations to line their pockets at the expense of our schoolchildren and our communities, and the Idaho Freedom Foundation and their acolytes in the Legislature are carrying the profiteers’ water.
Over the years, as I taught, I formed close bonds with my fellow teachers, and they in turn elected me to represent them in the Idaho Education Association. I have served as leader of the Nampa Education Association, the IEA’s Regional Director in Twin Falls and Meridian, and as the IEA’s Director of Organizational Development. In 1977 I was elected President of the Idaho Education Association.
I have a particular compassion and concern for developmentally-challenged young people, whom I served as a full-time employee at the Idaho State School and Hospital during my undergraduate years.
I am a longtime member of Rotary and was a Governor of District 5400, where I worked with more than 1800 Rotarians in 43 clubs as a leader and a trainer.
