A week following the first meeting of Lt. Governor Janice McGeachin’s Education Task Force, set to examine an alleged social justice agenda and critical race theory in education, member Jason Knopp released a statement, resigning from the committee.
Knopp, Idaho School Boards Association President-elect and Melba School Board trustee, made the announcement June 4. He described the ISBA as “stunned” with the lack of education professionals invited to join the task force.
“Some of the comments made by committee members towards the end of the last meeting made it clear that the lack of education professionals on the committee would leave its members to make under-informed, disparaging statements,” Knopp stated.
Back in May, McGeachin and co-chair for the education task force, Representative Priscilla Giddings, both announced their candidacies for Idaho Governor and Lieutenant Governor respectively. Knopp felt the committee, after the announcements of McGeachin and Giddings running for office, was part of a partisan campaign instead of utilizing all the voices within the committee.
Knopp said the first meeting further concerned the ISBA when the committee hadn’t researched claims of indoctrination but had speakers with anti-public education rhetoric give presentations. He said diversity, equity and inclusion are not controversial topics to the ISBA.
“We are confident that our school districts and charter schools have processes in place for any patron to inspect curricular materials,” Knopp stated.
Knopp concluded his statement requesting McGeachin, Giddings and the task force to “consider the negative impact their words will have on school communities.”
Sierra Pesnell can be reached at [email protected]