Over the weekend I had the opportunity to sit down virtually with Idaho State Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield, who is finishing her first term in that role. I asked her about her desire to reform the public school funding formula, which has stood mostly unchanged since 1994, as well as her initiative to return to a phonics-based literacy education. Finally, Superintendent Critchfield discussed how new high school civics requirements will help graduates have a better grasp of their heritage as Americans.
It was a great conversation and I look forward to more in the future. Whatever you might think of public schools, most of our future voters and leaders will pass through that system, which means policies regarding public education are extremely important for the future of our state.
Watch the whole thing (less than half an hour) here:
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Rufo and Lomez look back at the so-called “intellectual dark web”—doctrinaire liberals who began questioning liberal dogma in the late 2010s—to see how it has stood the test of time:
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On a related note...
Inspired by an article by Jeffrey A Tucker, we downloaded and started reading (to spouse) a free Kindle Version of McGuffey’s Fourth Eclectic Reader: https://a.co/d/0fRjsq8G. This amazing book — well above our own grade level — lends itself well to reading aloud to children and loved ones. Every Idaho school from kindergarten through college should teach from McGuffey readers!
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I’ve Gone Back to Fourth Grade. By Jeffrey A Tucker (9/23/26)
Article: https://www.theepochtimes.com/opinion/ive-gone-back-to-fourth-grade-6092833
McGuffey Readers: https://www.amazon.com/stores/William-Holmes-McGuffey/author/B0CMWHPQND/allbooks?ccs_id=98ce218c-78a3-43d5-b569-1ae288ea05a8
Jeffrey A. Tucker reflects on modern speech’s decline into incoherence and limited vocabulary, contrasting it with the sophisticated literacy and moral education found in the 19th-century McGuffey Readers that once shaped American children.
Key points:
Modern Language Decline: Everyday speech, especially among Gen Z and in podcasts, suffers from poor vocabulary, filler words (like, whatever, you know), and an inability to form coherent sentences and engage in basic human communication.
Enter McGuffey Readers: Tucker discovered these classic textbooks, used nationwide for nearly a century and selling 150 million copies. The readers taught reading, elocution, and character through stories and poetry.
Fourth-Grade Content Surprises: The 1901 McGuffey Fourth Reader, written for 10-year-olds, features advanced vocabulary, philosophical lessons, and moral instruction far beyond today’s standards. Sample
Key Lessons Highlighted: Stories teach principles like “evil can produce only evil,” the difficulty of saying “no,” perseverance, determination (via an eagle’s example), and true wealth in one’s senses. You really must read Tucker’s full article to grab these heartfelt stories of character and courage.
Broader Educational Value: These readers trained elocution, memorization, and practical morality without condescension, preparing children for thoughtful lives—lessons adults today still need.
Great Interview, Brian. Worthy of everyone's time to watch. Pithy😉