Office and district sought: State Board of Education, 2nd Congressional District
Name: Evie Hudak
Party affiliation: Democrat
Website: www.hudak.org
E-mail: evie@hudak.org
Age: 55
Last degree earned: BA in English and Education
Occupation: Consultant
Hobbies: Gardening, playing the flute, and science fiction books, movies and TV shows.
Family: Husband Edward Hudak, daughter Genevieve Hudak
How long have you lived in Colorado? Where did you live before? 31 years; from New York
Last book read: “The World Is Flat” by Thomas Friedman
Civic Involvement: Colorado Special Education Advisory Committee; Colorado PTA; Colorado State Accountability Network; Federation of Business and Professional Women; Colorado School Finance Project
Major endorsements: Colorado Association of School Executives; Colorado Education Association; AFL-CIO; Planned Parenthood
Why are you running? Education has always been my highest priority. I believe I’ve done a good job representing my district, supporting public education, and providing the Board with a more balanced perspective.
What are the top three challenges facing Colorado or the institution you seek to represent?
(1) Complying with all the different systems of accountability, especially No Child Left Behind.
(2) Adapting the public education system to meet the needs of changing demographics and the 21st century.
(3) Providing a high-quality education in all of our schools.
Does the State Board of Education provide leadership that is relevant to its stakeholders – parents, public schools, charters, teachers, administrators and other groups?
The Board’s establishment of and interaction with our various advisory committees is clear evidence of our engagement with stakeholders. Also, we provide leadership through our Strategic Plan and Legislative Priorities.
Describe what the board should be focusing on to ensure all public school students are graduating from high school with a solid education. The Board should plan for high school reform based on the recommendations from the Governor’s Alignment Council. We would benefit from having a commissioner with more vision and leadership.
Describe how you have impacted the education of Colorado students. I helped convince the SBE to focus on these issues: early childhood education, parent involvement, changes in No Child Left Behind and increased funding for special education and gifted/talented education.
