<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div dir="ltr">Courtesy of today’s <i>Moscow-Pullman Daily News</i> with thanks to Moscow’s Shirley Ringo.<div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div><br></div><div>————————————————-</div><div><br></div><div><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0.25in; font-size: medium; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 20.25pt;"><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(68, 68, 68);">School vouchers</span></strong><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(68, 68, 68);"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0.25in; font-size: medium; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 20.25pt; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(68, 68, 68);">A recent event in Juliaetta featured candidates for State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Terry Gilbert and Debbie Critchfield. In response to a comment from Gilbert about Critchfield’s support for vouchers supporting nonpublic schools, Critchfield said, “I never used the word voucher. I am not looking to voucherize our school system.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0.25in; font-size: medium; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 20.25pt; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(68, 68, 68);">In fact, during a primary debate, she said the following on the topic: “With some study” she would support such a proposal if “we’re not defunding our public schools and it would not come at the expense of our rural schools.” A person is either for vouchers or against them … appeasing folks on both sides of the discussion is not useful. It would be naïve to think that a system of vouchers, or any other such form of support, would not come at the expense of public schools.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0.25in; font-size: medium; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 20.25pt; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(68, 68, 68);">Undoubtedly Critchfield, a Republican, is aware of the following statement from the 2022 Republican platform: “We believe competition produces excellence in education, and that parents have the right to choose which schools their children attend. We support the right of parents to pursue private parochial and homeschool options. Tax credits for non-use of public schools and other forms of parental choice should be encouraged as competitive options for educating children.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0.25in; font-size: medium; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 20.25pt; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(68, 68, 68);">Since Republican candidates are expected to embrace the party platform, if Critchfield disagrees with this statement she should make her opposition clear, without condition.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0.25in; font-size: medium; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(68, 68, 68);">Shirley Ringo<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0.25in; font-size: medium; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(68, 68, 68);">Moscow</span></p></div><div>————————————————<br><br><div dir="ltr"><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Seeya 'round town, Moscow, because . . .</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"Moscow Cares" (the most fun you can have with your pants on)</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">http://www.MoscowCares.net</span></div><div><br></div><div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Tom Hansen</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Moscow, Idaho</span></div></div><div><br></div><div>“A stranger is just a friend you haven’t met.”</div><div>- Roy E. Stolworthy</div><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>