Terry Gilbert Announces Candidacy for Superintendent of Public Instruction

Boise, ID — Terry Gilbert, a life-long educator and former Idaho Education Association president, today announced his Democratic candidacy for Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction. He has over forty years of combined experience as a public school teacher and representative of teachers and educational support personnel.

“Idaho’s strong and successful communities start with our children’s schools. I am running to give a voice to the Idaho parents, students, teachers and support personnel who are weary of those in power failing year after year to live up to their constitutional duty to fund public education,” he said.

“Further, too many of our current leaders are asking the wrong questions about education. Their answers result in a standardized test-driven model that suppresses student creativity, initiative, and learning. Our children deserve an outstanding education system that will prepare them to be thoughtful, ethically-driven citizens and to have rewarding and well-paying careers. Idahoans must do better, and I will be offering my insights and love for the teaching profession to help us achieve this goal.”

Mr. Gilbert began his teaching career at Marsing Junior and Senior High in 1967. In the ensuing decade, he taught secondary English in rural Washington State and the Nampa School District. In 1977, Mr. Gilbert was elected president of the Idaho Education Association (IEA), a member-driven organization that provides advice, counsel, and a vital voice for educators and support personnel along with advocacy for high-quality public schools and public education. He subsequently served as an IEA regional director in Twin Falls and the Meridian area and as the IEA director of organizational development.

Mr. Gilbert holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and a Master of Arts in Curriculum and Development, both from Northwest Nazarene College. He is a longtime member of his local Rotary Club. Mr. Gilbert lives in Boise with his wife, Carolyn Houts Gilbert. They have two adult children.