Kari Wardle, former classroom teacher, has been named Idaho Public Television’s Director of Education.
Born and raised in Burley, Idaho, Wardle started out as a teacher’s aid while earning her undergraduate degree in K-8 education from Western Governors’ University, teaching in classroom in her hometown before going on to earn a masters degree in instructional design and technology from Idaho State University. She joined Idaho Public Television in 2016.
Idaho Public Television General Manager Jeff Tucker says, “For the past six years, Kari has defined and honed a winning strategy for education here. It is now a very important part of our work. This new position tells people outside of IdahoPTV that we are serious about our education efforts [at IdahoPTV]. The Idaho State Department of Education, the legislature, the governor’s office, schools and nonprofits all see that we are doing important work in the world of education.”
Wardle says she feels lucky to have had two careers that she’s passionate about: classroom teaching and her position at Idaho Public Television.
“My goal is to continue to demonstrate how Idaho Public Television is not only a producer of quality content but a key stakeholder in Idaho education as we work to create resources for Idaho teachers and families,” she says.
Wardle has ambitious plans for Idaho Public Television’s education team.
“We have started to produce video content based specifically in Idaho education standards,” she says, referencing the Climate Curriculum partnership project with the Idaho Environmental Education Association and the Idaho Department of Education for grades 6-8. Videos are accompanied by educator-created classroom materials and published on the PBS LearningMedia platform.
More “standards-first” projects are planned, including one in the works focusing on Idaho history for fourth-graders.
Wardle has hired two educators to work remotely and serve Idaho’s more remote communities and plans to add more educators in order, she says, “to ensure we serve all Idahoans with in-person educational resources and engagement.”