Shari Conditt, a longtime Woodland High School civics and U.S. history teacher, has been appointed by Gov. Bob Ferguson to the Washington State Board of Education, bringing a small-town classroom perspective to statewide education policy.
Conditt has spent more than two decades teaching in Woodland and nearly three decades in education overall. She currently teaches Advanced Placement American Government and Politics and Advanced Placement U.S. History, both dual-enrollment courses that allow students to earn college credit while in high school.
She said the appointment followed months of uncertainty and came during an already momentous stretch in her career. She received her appointment letter on Dec. 8, just four days after receiving the Sandra Day O’Connor Prize for Excellence in Teaching Civics.
“It was a really busy (four) days of some really wonderful acknowledgments and recognition,” Conditt said.
Conditt was also the recipient of the Bill of Rights Institute’s 2024 National Civics Teacher of the Year award and was named Washington State History Teacher of the Year in 2016.
Throughout her career, Conditt has emphasized hands-on civic engagement, encouraging students to attend school board meetings, city council meetings and other public forums to better understand how decisions are made.
“Ultimately, my goal in the classroom is to make sure that they are ready to be functional adults who engage in our great democracy when they’re finished with Woodland High School,” she said.
Conditt said her work with students has shaped the perspective she plans to bring to the state board, particularly as a representative of small schools and rural communities in Southwest Washington.
“I’m interested in bringing a perspective from a small town, a small school, small staff, in Southwest Washington,” Conditt said. “We face a lot of challenges in small towns, staffing challenges, financial challenges, and I want to make sure that their voices are also heard.”
She pointed to experiences during the COVID-19 shutdown, when some Woodland students living in remote upriver areas lacked reliable internet access, as an example of how statewide decisions can affect communities differently.
Conditt said serving on the board will also allow her to model civic participation for her students while maintaining the nonpartisan approach she values in the classroom.
“Here is an opportunity for me to show my students in real life what it looks like to be an advocate,” she said. “I fully intend on sharing the inner workings, to the extent to which I can, of the board.”
Conditt’s term runs through January 2029. Her first official meeting with the Washington State Board of Education is scheduled for February. She will continue teaching at Woodland High School while serving on the board.
Conditt said she was eager to learn more from other communities while serving at the state level.
“I am so proud to represent my students and our staff in the community of Woodland,” Conditt said. “They have given me so much, and I just can’t wait to be an advocate for them.”
