18 Facts About Cheri Yecke

Cheri Pierson Yecke was born on February 5,1955 and is an author and retired conservative Republican professor in the United States.

Cheri Yecke served on the Virginia State Board of Education under Governor George Allen and then was Virginia's Deputy Secretary of Education and Secretary of Education under Governor Jim Gilmore.

Cheri Yecke served as the Director of Teacher Quality and Public School Choice at the US Department of Education for the Bush administration, during which time she was detailed to the White House as a senior advisor for USA Freedom Corps.

Cheri Yecke then became the Commissioner of Education for the State of Minnesota for Governor Tim Pawlenty.

Cheri Yecke held her job from January 2003 to May 2004 before being forced out in a party-line vote.

Cheri Yecke then worked as a senior fellow at the Minnesota-based conservative think tank Center of the American Experiment for education and social policy, but has not been associated with the group since 2005.

Cheri Yecke ran as a Republican for Congress in Minnesota's Sixth Congressional District before being offered a job in Florida as Gov.

Cheri Yecke had previously announced her run for the Florida state education commissioner's chair earlier in 2007, and had been among the list of three finalists being considered.

From 2008 to 2015, Cheri Yecke served as Dean of Graduate Programs for Harding University.

Cheri Yecke was considered a contender for president of the university after former President David Burks retired.

Cheri Yecke is retired and lives in Searcy, Arkansas.

In July 2003 during her term as education commissioner, Cheri Yecke proposed that the Minnesota Science Standards include a technique favored by intelligent design proponents called Teach The Controversy in science curriculum.

Cheri Yecke cited the pro-intelligent design Santorum Amendment as supporting her effort.

The versions of the Minnesota Science Standards circulated by Cheri Yecke contained language used by intelligent design advocates in the Teach The Controversy campaign which casts doubt on evolution while offering intelligent design as a competing theory.

In considering the request Elsberry had asked for proof that the newspaper article did indeed quote Cheri Yecke inaccurately, going so far to contact the original reporter.

Readers of the blog then provided links to archived recordings of Twin Cities Public Television broadcasts from 2003 showing Cheri Yecke saying that teaching intelligent design was a decision local school districts could undertake and teaching intelligent design is supported by the Santorum Amendment.

Elsberry says her statements in these broadcasts are consistent with the quote Cheri Yecke disputed and tried to remove in the newspaper article.

Again, in 2005, this time as the K-12 education chancellor in Florida, Cheri Yecke's husband was hired as the deputy secretary of professional regulations by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.