By Jen Schumann | Contributor, Rocky Mountain Voice
Sherri Wright is as rooted in Colorado soil as the hay she grows on her 300-acre farm.
Instead of her fields, she’s been cultivating her 3rd District campaign for a seat on Colorado’s State Board of Education. She’s spent the last six weeks crisscrossing the district, racking up more than 5,000 miles on her truck.
From the Four Corners to the Wyoming state line, Wright is dedicated to meeting with voters and sharing her vision for the future of Colorado’s schools.
“Today, I’m up here instead of working my fields,” Wright said during a recent candidate forum in Delta County. “But the situation in our schools requires our attention. So, all I need from you is a heads up and I will show up for our families.”
With more than 40 years in education, Wright knows rural schools’ challenges. And she’s promoting three main goals: parental rights, school choice and traditional education.
These principles come from her decades-long career as a teacher and a school board member, she says. She spent 20 years on the Montezuma-Cortez school board and 12 years on the Colorado Association of School Boards. Her experience gives her a deep understanding of rural communities. She believes education policies should reflect local values and resources, she says.
Ensuring rural voices Are heard
Wright knows firsthand the need to stand up for rural schools. She believes they are often overlooked in state decisions. Wright wants to ensure state education policies reflect the voice and values of parents, educators and students, she says.
“We do not need to do the same thing Denver’s doing. We need to do what we need,” she emphasized. “We need to tailor education to our students.”
Wright’s long dedication to rural education is clear. Her work on vocational and charter school programs shows it. She sees these schools as vital. They offer students in small towns alternative paths to success.
As a former charter school director, Wright supports school choice. She believes students need varied learning environments, she says. Wright wants to give families more control over their children’s education.
Protecting children, defending values
School policies that permit transgender females to enter girls’ restrooms are troubling to Wright, she says. The reason? She worked in a school where a transgender student assaulted a girl in what should have been a safe space. This incident solidified her resolve to take a stand for girls in schools. For Wright, it’s common sense. Allowing biological males in girls’ restrooms jeopardizes student safety.
“We should not force any of our girls into situations where someone can harm or threaten them,” Wright said. “It’s simple: We do not need biological boys in our girls’ restrooms.”
Wright asserts that the ABCs of modern education aren’t what supporters claim. She sees CRT, DEI, and SEL as tools for indoctrination. Instead, she promotes a focus on the basics: reading, math, science and history. She believes a strong foundation in civics and history will help students make informed choices as adults.
“We do not need to teach them CRT. We do not need to teach them DEI. We need to teach them facts,” Wright remarked at a Delta candidate forum.
A commitment to parental rights
Wright’s campaign is based on a simple, powerful idea: Parents are the primary decision-makers. That doesn’t change when they step on school grounds. From what’s taught in classrooms to which school they attend, Wright insists that parents hold the reins. Personal pronouns included.
“Parents deserve to know everything about their child at school, from what they’re called to how they’re identified. After all, you bear the moral and legal responsibility as a parent,” Wright said.
Wright argues that educators should not have a license to expose children to any content.
She draws an analogy to dining. She likens the school curriculum to a kids’ menu at a restaurant, designed for a child’s nutritional and developmental needs. She believes schools should curate a “menu” of educational materials. They should align with the cognitive and emotional maturity of their young students.
To promote transparency, Wright suggests a rating system for educational materials. It would be like movie ratings. This lets parents, teachers and admins choose suitable content. That’s age-appropriate.
This runs counter to Wright’s opponent. At a Club 20 debate, her opponent said, “I’m not for banning books. If we can get a third grader to read anything, we should be happy.”
Wright shared, “I’m not for banning books. But for some of these explicit sex books, there should be ratings so that parents are aware and can give permission. I do not think third-graders should be reading books about anal sex or masturbation.”
The road ahead
As Wright campaigns across Colorado’s 3rd District, she faces a tough challenge. Democrats hold a majority on the nine-member State Board of Education. But, Wright remains undeterred. She vows to fight for parental rights and traditional education in Colorado.
“When I get up there, I’m going to be a minority, but I will be a loud minority for the families of CD3,” she said.
Update: Following the interview with the Rocky Mountain Voice, Wright informed us that Stephen Varela had personally called to share news of his resignation from the Colorado Board of Education for the 3rd Congressional District. Varela also expressed his full support for Wright to be appointed as his successor.