For the second day in a row, State Superintendent Debbie Critchfield celebrated one of her bills becoming law.
Today, she attended the ceremonial signing of a bill that requires all Idaho students to pass a financial literacy class in order to graduate — an idea she’s touted since she was on the campaign trail. Critchfield worked with Rep. James Petzke, R-Meridian, to develop the legislation.
“Learning to read and write is the foundation for success,” Gov. Brad Little wrote on Twitter after the signing ceremony. “Now, thanks to House Bill 92, Idaho students will be not only literate but FINANCIALLY literate.”
The financial literacy class or classes must include instruction on the following:
- The influence of money on human behavior
- The various types of bank accounts
- How to evaluate various investment options and calculate net worth
- Various types of credit/how credit ratings are determined
- How to finance a college education
- How to evaluate various types of insurance
- The purpose of the tax system and how it relates to each citizen and their income
- How to build a budget
- Modern consumer skills, tools, and practices
And plenty of meetings, too
But it wasn’t all celebrations. Critchfield also attended a string of meetings throughout the day:
- Her weekly meeting with Chief of Staff Greg Wilson
- A meeting with Chief Deputy Superintendent Ryan Cantrell
- A meeting with members of her executive team to discuss possible upgrades and general office improvements at the SDE
- An interview with Chief Financial Officer Gideon Tolman
- A meeting with staff members to discuss middle and high school math
- A meeting with Matt Freeman, executive director of the State Board of Education
