CD-3 State Board of Education: Sherri Wright, Barb Clementi and what goes unsaid

By Christy Anderson | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice

We have two educators running for the Colorado State Board of Education CD-3 seat in November. It may please you or surprise you to know that both have actually been in a classroom.

Sherri Wright , running as the incumbent, was a teacher for 20 years in Colorado and Texas. She taught middle school and was the head of the Junior High Language Arts department for a time. She also held the title of team leader of the middle school. She has served 8 solid years on the RE-1 school board and served as director for the Colorado Association of School Boards known for short as CASB. She took a four-year break, was re-elected again until she was term limited in 2023. She was also President on the San Juan Basin Technical College Board for 5 years. 

Sherri is Pro-parent, Pro-families, Pro-school choice and believes strongly in academics and accountability. Sherri is all for school getting back to the basics including students knowing their math facts, knowing the difference between long and short vowels, explicitly teaching skills needed to be successful citizens. She understands that government is part of public education but not the sole decision maker. Students belong to parents first. 

As an award winning middle school teacher and small business owner, she is passionate about teaching, learning and accountability across all levels. She is familiar with not only public education, she is also familiar with business having owned Tropics Day Spa and also Co-owned First Alert Drug and Alcohol Mobile Testing. Sherri’s platform is simple, 1. Passion about education, 2. Believe in parent rights, 3. Believe in school choice. Sherri has a teacher heart and genuinely seeks to help all schools and students. 

Now let us look deeper into Barb Clementi. She has also been an educator, she comes from educators and union founders. She is passionate about public education and believes it needs to be protected at any cost. On her own page she states that “bad actors, including religious ones, have exploited vagueness and loopholes in our state policies, rules, and legislation.”  She wants to close whatever lets public funds be “siphoned away from public school and funneled to private and religious schools.” Is this hostile to religious families?  Her stated goal is to cut off public money to religious schools. That is hostile to religious families. Barb also states that high stakes testing measures “ a child’s zip code” more than learning. This seems that Barb is weakening accountability to public schools and does it outwardly. 

Barb has served many years on the National Education Association Board of Directors. She wants you to know she loves to drive and stands eager to meet everyone across the district.

On the surface, both candidates are qualified for the position. Let us take a closer look into what Barb Clementi does not say. She does not claim to stand for school choice. In fact, she wants charter and religious schools that take public money held to the same rules as district schools, right down to “CDE approved curricula.” She is against high stakes testing accountability and outwardly shares this. Barb comes from more of a union socialist fist type of fight for her platform. Reading through her page it is evident that she wants to fight parents, classical curriculums and school choice. 

Maybe just maybe, it is not what Barb and Sherri say, it is what is not said out loud. 

Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in commentary pieces are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the management of the Rocky Mountain Voice, but even so we support the constitutional right of the author to express those opinions.