Rome wasn’t built in a day, and the same is true of New Mexico’s ongoing efforts to improve its public education system.
But getting the state on the right track can be broken down into a 10-point plan unveiled last weekend, according to a prominent Santa Fe-based think tank.
“Without a roadmap, it’s easy to get lost. Frankly, that’s where we are,” said Fred Nathan, executive director of Think New Mexico. “So our approach to this report was to create a roadmap with concrete strategies.”
Among the 30 legislative proposals contained in the more than 50-page plan are suggestions to break up large school districts to keep classes smaller, improve teacher preparation and training, and help students spend more time each year. Demand to go to school.
They are considering several sources of funding to support their proposal. This includes more than $130 million in funding for an extended study hours program that is expected to go unused this fiscal year, as well as his $130 million in funding from a constitutional amendment to be voted on in New Mexico in November. includes more than $84 million of
Nathan said the think tank expects the project to take several years to complete.
Many of the proposals have either been recently debated by state legislators or have been debated over the years.
One of these recommendations is for New Mexico to require students to spend more time in the classroom. It’s also a strategy state officials are touting as a way to improve student performance.
Lawmakers should increase the minimum class hours for all students to a total of 1,170 hours, the think tank said in a report.
Currently, students in grades 1 to 6 are required to attend school for 5.5 hours a day, and grades 7 to 12 are required to attend school for 6 hours a day.
The legislative committee leader also suggested to legislators to increase basic class hours in schools.
These recommendations have been met with varying responses. Some were skeptical, while others seemed frustrated that the extended study hours weren’t just pushing forward.
“We’ve heard time and time again on this committee that it’s scientifically proven that extra study time helps kids keep up with their education,” said Pat Woods of R-Broadview. The senator said at a recent Legislative and Finance Committee meeting. “But Congress doesn’t want to mandate it, and the PED clearly doesn’t want to mandate it…if we’re not willing to take action, why are we talking about things?” I sometimes wonder if
That said, school districts across the state have struggled to get the necessary consent from communities to implement more learning hours, and fewer and fewer students will be participating in these programs after 2021. I’m here.
For example, a proposal to have Albuquerque Public Schools students throughout the district spend more time in class was overruled by the district board of directors, instead adopting district policy to allow schools to participate in the program. You have chosen to continue.
This year, 29 out of 88 elementary schools implemented the program, and there were no middle or high schools.
The think tank claims that new teachers in New Mexico are getting paid more and should be better prepared.
For example, a new teacher whose base salary has increased to $50,000 this year should be able to attend a residency program before being in front of students. In these programs, a student-teacher is paired with an experienced teacher for her one year, allowing her to gain classroom experience while being remunerated.
Over the past few years, the residency program has received about $2 million in grants. This year, their funding increased to $15.5 million, but analysts say those dollars are non-recurring at this point.
But even after pre-career preparation, teachers should continue to receive at least 10 days of quality professional development to hone their skills in the classroom, says Think New Mexico.
Kristina Fisher, Associate Director of Think New Mexico, said:
Department of Public Education spokeswoman Carly Bowling said in a written statement that professional development is not mandated by states.Otherwise, professional development requirements are determined at the local level. she added.
The Extended Study Hours program requires teachers to participate in at least 80 hours of professional development per year. Her nearly 11,000 members of the state’s accredited teaching staff reported their professional development last school year.
Small classes should also be held, the think tank argues. Both can benefit students.
“Unfortunately, I think we got off track during the Industrial Revolution, when economies of scale and the factory model became everything. ‘Bigger is always better,’” says Nathan. “But when it comes to school, I’ve found that kids have feelings and emotions and don’t want to feel like they’re on a conveyor belt.”
Specifically, lawmakers should consider dividing APS into several smaller districts, Think New Mexico said.
Similar proposals have been brought at least twice in the past 20 years, including in 2017 when a bill limiting the size of school districts to 40,000 students failed.
The problem with that idea is that Senate Speaker Pro Tem Mimi Stewart, D-Albuquerque, said Albuquerque is so geographically divided that it is difficult to divide the APS fairly.
“The problem is how to divide the districts to distribute students fairly. That’s the problem,” she said.
Class sizes should also be kept as small as possible, says Think New Mexico.
Currently, kindergarten classes cannot accommodate more than 20 students. Teachers average 22 students in grades 1-3, 24 in grades 4-6, 27 in grades 7-8, and 30 in high school classes. you can’t.
Consider New Mexico claiming that these restrictions can be circumvented through class size waivers. In all recent semesters, PED has issued 71 such waivers, all of them in Las Cruces public schools, Bowling said.
Stewart argued that New Mexico, including APS, is already achieving a small learning environment similar to what the Think New Mexico report calls for. That happens especially in community schools trying to build school communities in areas affected by poverty, she said.
“We work hard to make sure our school feels and acts like a community,” she said.
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