New Mexico releases draft plan to address education lawsuit
SANTA FE, NM (AP) – New Mexico officials have announced a draft plan to address continuing education lawsuits by underserved K-12 students, and education advocates and tribal leaders are expected to comb through the document in the coming days.
The New Mexico Public Education Department says it is looking for feedback on the plan, which is intended to address a 2018 state court ruling that has dominated education policy and funding discussions between state lawmakers ever since.
In 2018, the court concluded that the state has fallen short of its constitutional duty to provide an “adequate” education, at least to some 70% of K-12 students, including Native Americans, English learners, and those who come from low-income. families or have disabilities. The court said students had unequal access to qualified teachers, quality school buildings, and other lessons that engage them in tailoring their cultural background and needs.
The 55-page “Martinez / Yazzie Discussion Draft Action Plan” is named for parents of students who sued the state separately, and joined a lawsuit in 2015. The draft plan outlines targets the diversity of teachers by 20%, increasing Graduation rates by 15%, and rising reading and math proficiency by 50% for groups identified in the lawsuit by 2025, compared to 2019 levels.
It also catalogs changes made by the administration so far, including major salary raises for teachers, and improved social studies standards.
“The Martinez / Yazzie Discussion Draft Action Plan is not just a plan for the future; It also reflects all the work that has been taken place since the beginning of this administration, and it challenges all of us to move on to strong performance goals that need key student outcomes, “said Secretary of Education Kurt Steinhaus.
In 2020, a state judge denied a request by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham dismisses the lawsuit. The same judge ruled in 2021 that many of the vulnerable students were not provided computers and the internet was sufficient for them to be trained in remote learning, despite efforts by education officials to deploy Wi-Fi hot spots and secure laptops for many students.
The education department promised to release the draft in December, before the state Legislature’s annual meeting that determines education funding, but didn’t do so, to the Chagrin tribal leaders. The budgets passed earlier this year.
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Attanasio is a Corps member for the Associated Press / Report for the US Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues. Follow Attanasio on Twitter.