U.S. Secretary of Education Visits Whitney Elementary School & Community School Program

Posted on 11/30/2023

On Tuesday, November 28, 2023 U.S. Secretary of Education Dr. Miguel Cardona visited Whitney Elementary School and Frank Church High School as part of a visit to announce a $6.5 million annual grant to expand community school programs in Idaho and speak to parents about social media and mental health.

 

Boise School District is a Community Schools leader in Idaho having started the state's first Community Schools to support the needs of students and families. There are currently seven Community Schools in the Boise District - Frank Church High School, Garfield Elementary, Koelsch Elementary, Morley Nelson Elementary, Taft Elementary, Whitney Elementary, and Whittier Elementary.

 

Community Schools foster partnerships by focusing on shared resources that enhance pathways to learning in a welcoming culture of high expectations for students.

Secretary Cardona toured Whitney Elementary and its Community Schools program, visiting with students in a dual language (English & Spanish) program classroom and a math classroom. He then held a roundtable discussion with state and local education leaders and community partners about the importance of expanding the use of Community Schools in rural Idaho. He described Whitney's Community School program as a model program. "We picked this program because it's exceptional," said Secretary Cardona. "The program they have here is a model program."

 

Secretary Cardona also used his Boise visit to announce that Idaho is one of 19 states, along with Washington, D.C. that will receive Full-Service Community School grants to expand the use of the community school model. Also during his visit, Secretary Cardona held a parent forum at Frank Church High School where he engaged parents in a conversation about mental health. About twelve parents met with Cardona, discussing issues such as school safety, parent-teacher relationships, the effects of social media and smartphones on students and student burnout before attending college, among other topics.

U.S. Secretary of Education Dr. Miguel Cardona visits Whitney Elementary School Teacher Cristina Joseph's 5th/6th Grade classroom. 



U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona holds a roundtable discussion about the value of Community Schools with education leaders and community partners. (Pictured L to R: Becca Anderson, student, Frank Church High School; Dr. Miguel Cardona, U.S. Secretary of Education; Debbie Critchfield, Idaho State Superintendent of Public Instruction; Coby Dennis, Superintendent, Boise School District; Tim Jackson, CEO & President, United Way of Treasure Valley; and Roger Sherman, Executive Director, Idaho Children's Trust Fund.



U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona meets with parents from the Boise School District about mental health.

Read more about U.S. Secretary of Education Dr. Miguel Cardona's visit to Boise.