Paid for by New Mexicans for Michelle, Deborah Armstrong Treasurer

ANewDirectionforNewMexicoSchoolsThefutureofNewMexicodependsonprovidingourchildrenahigh-qualityeducationsothattheyarepreparedtosucceedinlifeandourchangingeconomy.Itisoursharedresponsibilitytoensurethateverychildispreparedwiththerighttechnicalandproblem-solvingskillssotheycanreachtheirfullpotentialandhelpdriveourstateforwardtoabetterfuture.Currently,NewMexicoisfailingonbothfronts.Thisyear’s“QualityCounts”report-anationallyrecognizedassessmentofeachstate’seducationsystemproducedannuallybyEducationWeek-ranksNewMexiconearthebottomoneveryindicatorthatcanaffectachild’sabilitytoearnaqualityeducation:

• NewMexicoranked49thoverallwithascoreof66.3/100.

• NewMexicorankedlastinthe“ChanceforSuccess”index,whichevaluatestheimpactofpubliceducationonfutureoutcomesforstudents.

o Thisincludesindicatorssuchasearlychildhoodaccess,graduationrates,post-secondaryattendance,parentalincome,andotherdevelopmentindicators.

• NewMexicorankednearthebottominthenationon“K-12Achievement.”

o Thismeasurecombinesmathandreadingtestscores,APachievement,andotherperformancemeasures.

o NewMexicowaslastinrawscores,and31stinimprovement.

• NewMexicorankednearthemiddleinschoolfinancebutverypoorlyonfunding.o Whilegivenaverylowrankforfundinglevels,itreceivedabenefitfrom

havingfairlyequitabledistribution.ThesenationalrankingsreflectthevacuumofleadershipwehaveseenfromtheMartinez/Skanderaadministration.Educationcanbeagreatequalizerinoursociety,butyearsofstarvingourpublicschoolsofadequatefunding,combinedwithdrasticcutsinsocialservicesforourmostvulnerablechildren,haveunderminedourstate’sabilitytoprovideeverychildwiththechancetosucceedinlife.Itistimeforanewdirection.

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ANEWDIRECTIONFORNEWMEXICOSCHOOLS

Educationisnotlimitedtoinstructionaltimeintheclassroom–familyinvolvement,engagedinstructorsarmedwiththerighttools,andadequatefundingarejustafewoftheelementsnecessaryforachildtosucceedinschool.AsGovernor,Iwilltakeanewapproachtohelpourstudentsachievetheirverybest:

1. FundingtheEducationSystemweneedandourchildrendeserve

2. MakeuniversalaccesstoqualityPre-KarealityforeveryNewMexicofamily

3. Giveourstudents21stCenturySkillsandenhancecareertechnicaleducation

programs

4. Improvegraduationrates

5. Payourprincipals,teachers,andeducationpersonnelmore

6. Limitschooltestingandusequalitativedatatotrackstudentandschoolachievement

7. Createafairandbalancedsystemofaccountability

8. Engagefamilies,communities,andstudentsassubstantivepartners

9. Makesureeverystudentinpublicschoolhasanequalopportunitytolearnandgetahead

10. MakecertainNewMexico’sAmericanIndianpopulationsarewellservedbythestate’seducationsystem

11. Prepareeverystudentforsuccessincollegeoracareer

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1. Fundingtheeducationsystemweneedandourchildrendeserve

Wemustinvestmoreineducationtogiveourfamiliesandcommunitiestheschoolstheydeserveandgiveourkidstheskillstheyneedtosucceed.TheNewMexicoLegislaturecommissioneda2008studybytheAmericanInstitutesofResearchthatfoundthatNewMexicowasunderfundingitsschoolsbymorethan$300million.Sincethen,therecessionandourslowrecoveryhavemadethingsworse.Fundinghasnotkeptpacewithinflationorpopulationgrowth.Togiveourkidstheeducationsystemtheydeserve,weneedtodramaticallyincreaseclassroominvestmentwhileweintegratestatewidepre-kindergarten(Pre-K)educationintoourpubliceducationsystem.Pre-Kisthebesteducationalinvestmentwecanmakeinthelongrun.EverystudyshowsthatPre-Kgiveskidsaheadstartinlifeandleadstobetterjobsandbetterincomes.

Ourfundingshortfallhasbecomesoseverethatseveralschooldistrictsaroundthestatehavejoinedwithfamiliestosuethestateforfailinginitsconstitutionaldutytoprovideeducationtothestate’schildrenbynotcommittingthenecessaryresourcestopubliceducation.NewMexico’schildrenarefacingahugeachievementgap,laggingtheirpeersaroundthecountryinreadingandmath.Iagreewiththeschooldistrictsandfamiliesthattheseachievementgapsleadtoopportunitygapsforourkids,denyingthemtheskillsandtrainingtheyneedtosucceed.Weneedtoreversethis,andasGovernor,Icommittoidentifyinganddevelopingstrategiestoincreaseinvestmentsinourstudentsandschoolswhileweexpandourprogramstoreachouryoungestchildren.WeneedresponsibleschoolfundingtomakesureeverystudenthasachanceatagoodeducationfromPre-Kthroughhighschool.Toachievethis,alongwithgrowingoureconomy,wemustincreaseanddiversifyourrevenuetoeducation,ensurewe’remakingthemostofeveryeducationdollarandprovideapermanentandreliablefundingsourceforPre-K.

• Passingaconstitutionalamendmenttoboostfundingforeducation.IwillworkwithourlegislativeleaderstopassanamendmentthatprotectsthecorpusofthePermanentSchoolFundwhileinvestingmoreinourkidsandschools.Thisfundnowboastsmorethan$17.75billioninassetsandisexceedingits7percenttargetgrowthrate.Nowistheperfectopportunitytoleveragetheseresourcestoimprovestudentoutcomesbyincreasingthedistributionratefromthecurrent5percent.

• Diversifyingandexpandingstaterevenues.Tobuildastrongfutureforourschools

andreducerelianceonoilandgas,weneedadiversesetofrevenuestreamsbuiltonabaseofenhancedeconomicopportunityandprosperity.TheMartinezadministrationhasrepeatedlycutcorporatetaxesandprotectedloopholeswhile,outsidetheoilandgasindustry,theeconomylagsandrevenueforourschoolssuffers.Ipledgetoworkwithlegislatorstodevelopplanstogeneratenewrevenueforourschools.

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• Puttingmoremoneyinclassroomsbyshiftingmoneyfromadministrationand

streamliningreporting.Outofall50states,NewMexicospendsthehighestportionofitseducationexpendituresonadministrativecosts.Forexample,NewMexicoschooldistrictsspendupto15,000staffhourscomplyingwithcurrentreportingrequirementsandanestimated$211.93perstudentonreportingforFood/Nutrition,Budget,HealthandAcademicPerformance.Tocompare,Nevadaspendsapproximately$69.45perstudentforsimilarinformation.Wemustensurethatourmoneyisgoingtotheclassroom,whereitdoesthemostgood,byreducingthecostsofadministrationandoverhead.Bydivertingadministrativecosts,cuttingredtape,andstreamliningfunctionswecanput$100millionmoreintoNewMexicoclassrooms.

• LoweringthequalifyingschoolagefromfivetothreetoincludePre-KintheschoolfundingformulatocreateuniversalPre-K.BringingPre-Kfundinginlinewiththeper-pupilfundingformulausedbyourpubliceducationsystemisthemosteffectivewaytosecurefundingforuniversalPre-Kasweputmoremoneyintoschools.ThiswillguaranteestablefundingforPre-Kprograms,centralizeadministrationforPre-K,ensurequalityandaccountability,andcreatesalaryandbenefitparityforPre-Keducators.ThisstepwillalsoensurethatfundingforPre-KdoesnotdetractfromformulafundinglevelsgrantedtoK-12education.Afterphase-in,thiswillmean$285millioninfundingtoprovidereadyaccesstoquality,full-dayPre-Ktoeverysinglethree-andfour-year-oldinNewMexico.

2. MakeuniversalaccesstohighqualityPre-KarealityforeveryNewMexicofamilyWeknowthathigh-qualityPre-Keducationforthree-andfour-year-oldchildrenmakesameasurabledifferenceincognitiveandsocialdevelopmentandlong-termeducationaloutcomes.Bygettingtokidsduringthemostcrucialstagesofbraindevelopment,wegivekidsthetoolstheyneedtosucceedthroughhighschool,college,andbeyond.KidsinPre-Kwillhavemoreeconomicopportunitiesandhigherincomes.Withtheseoutcomesinplace,wewillreducecoststoourcriminaljustice,welfare,andhealthcaresystems.AndweknowthatPre-KprogramsinNewMexicoareworking–78percentofNewMexico’sPre-Kgraduatesreceivehighscoresinlanguage,literacyandmathematics.

ButPre-Kenrollmentinallprogramsiscurrentlyonly41.9percent.ThereisnoreasonweshouldnotbeworkingtoenrolleverysingleNewMexicochildinearlychildhoodeducation.ThebestprogramsacrosstheUShaveachieved80-85percentoverallenrollment.WepushtomeetandexceedthesebenchmarkswhileensuringeveryeligibleNewMexicochildcanaccesseducation.Withmorefundinginplacewewill:

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• IncreasethenumberofqualifiedPre-Keducatorsandprograms.Wewillneedtocreatenearly25,000newstatePre-Kslots.However,wecurrentlyhavetoofewteachersandfacilitiesforthesystemtoservethesefamilies.ByintegratingPre-Kintothepublicschoolfundingformula,wecanpayourearlychildhoodeducatorsaprofessionalwage,attractmoreeducatorstotheprofession,andensuretheyhavetheeducationandexperiencetohelpchildrengrowandprepareforkindergarten.Thisiscriticaltoincreasingthenumberofhigh-qualityPre-Keducators.Wemustalsomakesurethatteacher-trainingprogramsatUNM,NMSU,andotherinstitutesareequippedtotrainteachersatalllevelsofeducation,fromPre-Kto12whileinvestingnon-recurringfundsinbuildingmoreclassroomsandinfrastructure.

• Providedevelopmentopportunitiestocreateaskilled,professionalworkforce.

ManyofthecommunitiesmostinneedofPre-Kprogramslacktheskilledprofessionalworkforcetostaffandadministerthem.Weneedtoprovideourworkforcetheopportunitiesandprofessionaldevelopmenttheyneedaswebringmoreeducatorsintothesystem.Tocultivateamorerobustandwidelydistributedworkforce,thestatemustinvestinbothpre-serviceandin-serviceprofessionaldevelopmentindirectproportiontoprogramexpansions.Wemustexpandexistingapprenticeshipandassistantshipmodelswhilestrengtheningmaster-teacherprograms.Myadministrationwillcommittoestablishing,funding,andpromotingincentivestorecruitandretainqualifiededucatorsindisadvantagedcommunities.

• Focusonreachingmorethree-year-oldchildren.MoststatePre-Kprogramsaresingle-yearandserveprimarilyfour-year-oldchildren.NewMexico’sPre-Kservessomethree-year-oldchildren,butiscurrentlyfocusedprimarilyonfour-year-oldkids.However,researchindicatesthattwo-yearPre-Kprogramsaremorebeneficialthansingleyearprograms.Weneedtofocusourexpansioneffortsonprovidingopportunitiesforthree-year-oldstudentsandreachingtheirfamilies.

• Makefull-dayPre-Kprogramstheuniversalstandard.Full-dayprogramsare

proventohavegreaterbenefitsforschoolreadiness,betterattendance,enhancedsocialandemotionaldevelopment,andbetterphysicalhealth.Toomanystudentsareleftunderservedinhalf-dayprogramsthatdon’tprovideparentsthesupporttheyneedorteachersthetimenecessarytohavearealimpact.OurexpansionofPre-Kwillprovidefull-dayeducationforeveryfamilythatwantsit.

• Developarobusttransitionplantogetusuniversalcoverage.Implementing

statewidePre-Kisgoingtotakestrongcoordinationamongmultiplestateagenciesandprogramstotrackresults,insistonquality,anddemandaccountability.Currently,Pre-KishousedatbothCYFDandPED,whicheachhaveexpansivemandates.Wewillre-establishthestate’sChildren’sCabinettoassurecoordinationamongagenciesaffectingchildren,anddemandresultsfrommultiplestakeholders.

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Inbuildingoutcapacity,wemustfocusfirstonthecommunitiescurrentlymostunderservedbyNewMexicoPre-Kprograms,andmostinneedofimprovededucation.

Wewillworktoserveeverychildassoonaspossiblebyfillingtransitionalgapswithin-homeonlineprogramslikeUtah’sUPSTART.Theseevidence-basedandrelativelylow-costsystemshaveimprovedoutcomessuchaskindergartenreadinessandtestresults.Sincetheseprogramsaremoreaccessibletofamiliesinurbanareas,itwillallowustofocuseffortstobuildoutinfrastructureonNewMexico’sruralorunderservedpopulations.

3. Give our Students 21st Century Skills and Enhance Career Technical Education

ProgramsOurchildrenwillrequiredifferentknowledgeandskillsthanwedid,andwearedoingthemadisservicebyfocusingsomuchonpreparingstudentssimplytotakestandardizedtests.Highertestscoresmayhelpschoolsachievehighergrades,butitdoesnothelpourchildrenpreparefortheworkplace.

Today’scomplexeconomyrequiresustopreparestudentswithastrongerfoundationinmathandscience,andtheabilitytocombinedifferentsubjectmatterstopracticallysolveproblems.Theglobaleconomyrequiresanewapproachtowhatweareteachingandhowweteachit:

• AdoptrigorousSTEM(science,technology,engineeringandmath)standards

alignedtoNextGenerationScienceStandards.DevelopedbytheNationalScienceTeachersAssociation,theAmericanAssociationfortheAdvancementofScience,theNationalResearchCouncil,andaneducationalconsortiumrepresenting26states,thesecollege-andcareer-readystandardsweredesignedtohelpstudentslearncorescientificconcepts;howtodevelopandtestideas;andhowtoevaluateevidence.ThestandardsaredesignedtohelpstudentsachieveacorecompetencyinscienceandengineeringfieldsandarethebestapproachtohelpingprepareNewMexicostudents.Fromautorepairtosocialscienceresearchtocomputercoding,STEMisbecominganessentialcomponentineveryfield.Weneedtomakesureourstudentshavetheknowledgebasetocompete.

• MakeSTEAMthecoreplatformforNewMexico’sschools.ThemoderneconomydemandsagreatercompetencyinScience,Technology,Engineering,andMathematics(STEM),butsimplyincreasingoureducationalfocusonthesesubjectswillnotpreparestudentsforourchangingeconomy.Researchhasshownthat“TheArts”–liberal,design,visualandlanguagearts–areanessentialcomponentindevelopingskillsincreativityandcriticalthinking.BypreservingeducationintheartsandinfusingtheartsintohowweteachSTEM,wecanteachourchildren

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essentialskillslikecriticalthinking,communications,collaboration,andproblemsolving.

• Alignthecurriculumbetweenelementary,middle,highschool,andpostsecondarylevelstohelpcreateacoherentK-12STEAMsystem.Schoolsmustbeconsistentintheirteachingapproachandlearningstandardstoensurethatstudents’real-lifeskillsandabilitieskeeppacewiththeirexpandingbodyofknowledge.

• EncourageinnovationintheteacherpreparationprogramsatNewMexico’scolleges

anduniversities.Forexample,wecandevelopmoredual-degreeprogramsinEducationandMathandSciencefieldstoincreasethenumberofgraduatesqualifiedtoteachintheSTEMsubjectsandprovidemoreprofessionaldevelopmentopportunitiesforteacherslookingtodeveloptheirskillsinsubjectssuchasdual-languageeducation.

• Provideeducatorswiththetoolsandtrainingtheyneedtoteach.Newrigorousstandardswillrequiremorestrategicinvestments.Forexample,newSTEMfieldswillrequireadditionalscientificinstrumentsandequipmentintheclassroom;andforteachersofquicklydevelopingsubjectfieldslikecomputersciencemusthaveaccesstoprofessionaltrainingtostayabreastofessentialnewdevelopments.

• Promotetheuseoftechnologytoexpandthescopeoflearningopportunities,especiallyinruralandunderservedschools.Asgovernor,Iwillworktoexpandruralaccesstohigh-speedbroadband.Thistechnologyisparticularlyimportantforruralandunderservedschoolswithlimitedfunds.BroadbandInternetcanconnectstudentstoinstitutionsandprogramssuchaslargerlibrarycollectionsoronlinecourseworkformorespecializedfields.TheInternetalsoprovidesschoolswiththeabilitytolinkupwithdistancelearnersviateleconferencing.

• ExpandNewMexico’scareerandtechnicaleducationprogramsand

apprenticeships.Noteverycareerrequiresabachelor’sdegree,butmostjobsrequireindustry-specifictrainingorcertification.Asgovernor,Iwillcreatestrongervocationaleducationprogramsthatincludeopportunitiesforhighschoolstudentstoearncertificatesandassociatedegrees.Iwillputagreateremphasisonexperientiallearningthroughinternshipsandapprenticeshipprograms.Everyprogramthatwecanexpandtostudentsstatewideisanopportunityforstudentstoearnthetechnicalskillsandcertificationsnecessarytofindawell-payingjob.Countriesaroundtheworldhaverecognizedtheimportanceofstrongapprenticeshipprograms.Onaverage,employersget$1.47backforevery$1investedinapprenticeships.InNewMexico,suchprogramsmaybepartofourpublicschoolsorrunincoordinationwithpublic-privatepartnershipsthatprovideopportunitiesforstudentstolearnatrade.

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• TeachentrepreneurshipinNewMexico’sschools.Coursesinentrepreneurshipdonotjustteachstudentshowtopursueeconomicopportunities.Italsonurturescreativity,resilience,persistence,risk-taking,andthecritical-thinkingskillsthataresonecessarytocompeteintoday’sglobaleconomy.

4. ImproveGraduationRates.NewMexico’shighschoolgraduationratehasimprovedoverthepastsixyears,from63percentto71percent,butitremainsamongtheweakestinthenation.Ourratesarewellbelowthenationwideaverageof83.2percentandlowcomparedtoourneighboringstates,withColoradoat79percent,Texasat89percent,Arizonaat78percent,andUtahat85percent.

Wehavesomeprogramsthatareworkingbutunderfunded.

• NewMexicocurrentlyfunds60dropoutcoachesandsocialworkerstosupportstudentsacross21districtsinNewMexico.Theseprofessionalsworkwithelementary-,middle-andhigh-schoolstudentsandtheirfamiliestoreducechronictruancythatoftenleadstodroppingoutofschool.Fundingwasallocatedtodistrictsdemonstratingthehighestneedandplansforusingthestaff.

• NMPEDhasalsoimplementedan“earlywarningsystem”thatutilizesavailabledatatotargetstudentswhoareatriskofmissingmilestonesordroppingout.Thebestindicatorsofdropoutarelowattendance,unsatisfactorybehavior,andpoorcourseperformance.Anumberofinterventionsaretestedandthedataanalyzedtofindthemosteffectivestrategiesformediatingdropouts.

Thesetoolsarehelpful,butwemustdomoretoraiseourratestobeonparwiththenationalaverage.Todothis,wewill:

• StartearlybyexpandingourPre-Kprogramasoutlinedabove.Pre-Keducationcan

helpreducedropoutratesbypromotingbetterbraindevelopmentandhigheracademicachievementfromanearlyage.Thiskeepskidsinschool.

• Ensurethateducators,administrators,andcounselorsandotherstateandlocal

officialswhoworkwithschool-agedchildrenaretrainedusingNewMexico’searlywarningsystemtoidentifykidswhoaremostatrisk.Thissystemcollectsandusesexistingschooldatatoindicatestudentswhoarestatisticallylikelytodropout.Schoolsshouldbeheldaccountableforusingthesystemtocontinuallymonitorandprovidesupportforat-riskstudents.

• Hiremoredropoutcoachestohelpimplementmentoringandcounselingeffortstargetedtowardthoseschoolswiththemostneed.

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• FullyfundandexpandprovenprogramssuchasNewMexico’spilotprogram,K-3+,

whichpreventssummerlearninglossbyprovidingupto25additionaldaysintheclassroom.Summerlearninglosshasamajorimpactondisadvantagedfamilieswhocannotaffordtopayforsummerenrichmentprograms.

• Workdirectlywithemployerstobuildtechnicalandapprenticeshipoptionsand

worktohelpdistrictsandschoolsbuild“careeracademies”withintheirschools–theseprograms,whenruneffectively,canincreasegraduationrates,achievement,andfutureearnings.

• Focusonusingattendancedatatoidentifythestudentsmostat-riskofdroppingout

ofschool.Onestudy,“TheSilentEpidemic:PerspectivesofHighSchoolDropouts,”fundedbytheBillandMelindaGatesFoundation,foundthat43percentofhighschooldropoutsfelttheyhadmissedtoomanydaysofschooltobeabletoearntheirhighschooldiploma.Schoolsmustintervenewithat-riskstudentsearlyenoughtoavoidsuchfeelingsofhopelessness.Ifwecanconnectwithkidswhoareshowingearlysignsofalackofinterestinschoolandturnthemaroundwhentheyareyoung,wehaveagreaterchanceofhavingthemgraduate.

• Identifyotherkeyindicatorssuchasstudentperformancetohelpeducatorsdeterminethatstudentsare“on-track”.Onestudyfoundthatafreshmanwhois“ontrack”tograduate–accumulatingsufficientcreditstoadvancetosophomoreyear–is2.5timesmorelikelytograduatethanstudentswhoareoff-track.Simpledatareportsalloweducatorstomoreeasilyidentifywhichkidsareatriskoffailingclassesandfallingbehind.

• AsGovernor,Iwillfighttohelpstudentsstayinschoolandsuccessfullytransition

frommiddleschooltohighschoolandfromhighschooltopost-secondaryeducation.

5. Payourprincipals,teachersandallclassroomeducationpersonnelmoreEducatorsmakethelargestcontributiontostudentachievementthananyotheraspectofschooling.High-qualityeducators,includingcapableprincipals,administrators,andsupportstaff,areatthecenterofstudentlearning;theyarepassionateaboutservingouryouth,andmakeatremendousdifferenceintheirlives.Andlikemanyotherstatesaroundthecountry,NewMexicoisfacingasevereeducatorshortage.

ThepoliciesofthepreviousadministrationhaveledtoNewMexicohavingthe2ndhighesteducatorattritionrateinthenationjustbehindArizona.Thishasledtomanyvacanciesacrossthestateandmanylong-termsubstitutesandalternativecertification(altcert)teachersinourclassrooms.Inadditiontoteachingfulltime,altcertsmustalsotake

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parttimeclassestogetcertified.Manyofthesenewteachershavehadnotraininginlessonplanning,individualizededucationplans(IEP's),orclassroommanagement.Inaddition,theymustpayfortheircertifications,andmanyreportthatthecostandtimeinvestmentisprohibitive.

Thebiggestobstaclestoteacherrecruitmentarepayandtheperceptionoftheprofession:Peopleoftennolongerseeteachingasaprofessionalcareerandmanynolongerbelievetheycanearnalivingasateacher.Wecannotexpecttorecruitandretainthehighestqualityeducators,principalsandsupportstaffthatweneedunlesswetreatthemasthevaluedandrespectedprofessionalsbypayingthemmoreandprovidingtheopportunitiesforcareergrowth,training,developmentandadvancementthattheydeserve.

AsGovernor,Iwill:

• Raisesalaries.Thebestwaytokeeptheteacherswehaveandrecruitmoretotheprofessionistopaythemmore.Peopledonotpursueteachingcareersforthemoney,buttheydeservetobepaidarespectablewage.Lowpayerodestheirstandardofliving,hurtsmorale,anddrivespeopletoseekotherwork.InNewMexico,theaveragestartingsalaryforanewteacheriscurrently$34,000andwillincreaseto$36,000inthefallofthisyear.Thesecondandthirdtierpaylevelswillincreaseto$44,000and$54,000.Thatisanimprovementbutitisnotgoodenough.• TheaveragestartingsalaryinTexasis$38,528,andtheaveragesalaryofa

veteranteacherinTexasis$48,819.InNewMexicoitis$45,453.Weneedtomakesuretheirpayremainscompetitive,andthatteachingcanprovideanattractive,securecareer.

• Furthermore,weneedtoensurethateveryoneinvolvedinmakingourschoolsworkispaidadecentwage.TodayEducationalAssistantsearnastartingsalaryof$14,000.Schoolbusdrivers,guidancecounselors,librarians,coachesandotherclassifiedpersonnelarealsodramaticallyunderpaid.Weneedtomakesurethateveryoneworkinginourschoolsispaidafairandrespectfulwage.

• Iwillimmediatelyraisethethreetierpayratesto$40,000,$50,000and$60,000fromthe2018-2019schoolyear,andIwillworkwiththelegislatureandschoolstodetermineapathforwardtofurtherincreasethepayforteachersandclassifiedpersonnel,andmakesurethatcostoflivingadjustmentscommitmentsarefulfilled.

• MaketeachinginNewMexicoamoreattractiveoptionforyoungprofessionals.I

willsupporthigh-performingstudentswithascholarshipliketheMississippiExcellenceinTeachingProgram,whichprovidesfulltuitionandarigorouscurriculumforfutureteachersincoresubjects.Iwillpromoteandworktoexpandloanforgivenessprogramsforyoungteacherstosupportthemintheirearlylower-

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incomeyears.Iwilladvocateforlegislationtocreateafinancialassistanceprogramtoprovidegrantstoqualifiedteacherswhoarehiredbyandfulfillacommitmenttoworkinaneligibleschooldistrictwheretheyaremostneeded.

• Improveourteacherpreparationprograms.Wewillinvestinourprofessors,

partnerwitheducationfoundations,andincreaseteachergraduationstandards.

• Institutementoringandcoachingprogramstosupportearly-careerteachersandadministrators.

• Providehigh-qualityprofessionaldevelopmentopportunitiesforteachersand

administrators.ProgramsliketheMC2summermathematicseducationtrainingcampandtheCOREcoachingprogramforstrugglingschoolshaveproventobehighlyeffectiveatraisingteacherperformanceandstudentachievement.

• TrainmoreNewMexicanstobeteachershereathome.Asweinvestmoreinteachersalaries,wewanttheseteachingopportunitiestogotowell-trainedNewMexicans.Iwillpursueandpromoteprogramsdesignedtogrowourownteachersandpartnerwiththestateuniversitiestoimproveteacherpreparation,recruitment,andretention,andworkwithschoolstoimprovethepathwayforEAsandotherschoolstafftoadvancetothenextlevelofteaching.WewillimplementprogramslikeAim2TeachinArizona,aprogramaimedatidentifyingstudentswhomaywanttoteachandhelpingguidethemintoprofessionalteachingprograms.Aim2Teachholdseventsandworkswithstudentsinareaswithteachershortagestohelpinterestedstudentsnavigatethesometimes-opaquepathwaytobecomingateacher.

• AsGovernor,throughoutmytenure,IwillaskandlistentoEducationprofessionalsaboutwhattheyneed.ThenewfederallawEveryStudentSucceedsAct(ESSA)requirescollaborationwithstakeholdersandIwillhonorthiscommitmenttoinvolveeducatorsasweworktoaddresstheseissues.

6. Limit School Testing and use qualitative data to track student and schoolachievement.

Testingprovidesastandardizedwaytoassessachievementandmonitorimprovementsinschools.However,testingisatbestanincompleteindicatorofstudentprogressandacademicachievement,yetitoccupiesanoverlydominantroleinclassroominstructionandinNewMexico’ssystemofratingitsschools.PARCCtestingcountsfor90percentofwhatgradeelementaryandmiddleschoolreceive;forhighschools,itcountsfor75percentofthegrade.Thismeansthatadministratorsareforcedtofocusexcessivelyonpreparingstudentsforthetestandthatteachersfeelincreasedpressurefromschoolsandadministratorstoperform.Ourkidsspendtoomuchtimetestingandnotenoughtimelearning.

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Abetterapproachwouldbetousetestingasitwasintended–asatooltohelpstudentslearn.Testresultsandthedatatheyyieldcanprovidetremendousinsightintowhatisworkingandwhatisfailing.Weneedtodevelopanewapproachthatoffersthekindofevidencethatteacherscanusetoidentifywherestudentsarestruggling;toinnovateintheclassroom;andtohelpfosterastudent’scriticalthinkingabilities.Therefore,asgovernor,Iwill:

• GetridofthePARCCtestandworkwithstakeholderstodeterminethemost

appropriateandleastintrusivetestforNewMexicoschools.

• Utilizestatewiderandomsamplingprogramssothatnoteverystudentneedstotaketests.Thisdecreasespressureonstudentsandteachers,freesuptimeforinstruction,andsavesmoneythatcanbere-allocatedtoeffectiveprogramstargetingstudentachievement.Controllingtherandomizationatthestatelevel,notintheschools,willhelpreducetheriskoffraud.

• Providemorebalancetootherevaluationtoolsbyimplementinginnovative

alternativemeansofmeasuringachievement.Withuseoftechnologybecomingmoreprevalent,itiseasiertocollectdataonstudentperformanceinclassroomandhomeworkassignmentstomeasureprogress.

• DoawaywiththeA-Fgradingsystemforschools.

7. Createafairandbalancedsystemofaccountability.High-qualityschoolleadersandteachersimprovestudentoutcomes.Iwillreformschoolandteacherevaluationstofocusmoreonholisticmeasuresofachievementandprogressandmakeevaluationspartofasystemthatprovidestrainingtoeducators.Thisway,wewillimproveteacherquality.Evaluationsshouldbemorethananassessment;thisshouldalsobeatooltopromoteprofessionaldevelopmentandhelpeducatorssupportstudents.

NewMexico’scurrentsystem,whichusesvalue-addedmodeling(VAM)todetermineateacher’simpactbyusingstatisticalmodelstopredictwhatastudent’sscoresshouldbebasedontheirprevioustestscores,isn’tworking.Statesacrossthecountryaremovingawayfromsuchmethodsbecauseoftheprovenlimitationsintryingtopredictastudent’sperformancebasedonanyuniquevariable.

AsGovernor,Iwillworkwithteachersandprincipalstoimprovetheevaluationsystem.Weneedtoimplementbestpracticesthatsupportschoolleadersandteachers.

TheAspenInstitutehasidentifiedseveralstrategiestoimproveteacherevaluationsthatwewillcarefullyconsideraswerevampouraccountabilitysystem:

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• Prioritize principal and evaluator training and certification with a focus onprofessionalgrowth;

• Allowteachersandobserverstocollaborateonareasoffocus;

• Supportlocallydevelopedmeasureswhilepursuingimprovementsintheircreationanduse;

• Makesureallimportantaspectsofteachingperformancearevaluedinevaluations;

• Engageteachersinimprovingteacherevaluationsystems;and

• Developmeasuresfortestingtheintegrityofevaluationsystemdesignand

implementation.

AsGovernor,IwillworkwiththePEDtosetthestandardsofexcellence.Tomeetthesestandards,schooldistricts,workingwiththeirelectedschoolboardmembersandstaff,willdevelopappropriateevaluationmeasuresthatleadtoeducatorlearningandgrowth,notattrition.Wewillworkwithlocalschooldistrictstomakesurestandardsaremet.Ourgoalistonurtureanddevelopthebestprofessionalstaff.8. EngageFamiliesandCommunitiesasSubstantivePartners.Researchershavefoundthatparentalandfamilyinvolvementisconsistentlyassociatedwithhigherlevelsofstudentachievement.Themagnitudeoftheeffectofparentalorfamilyeffortissubstantial:schoolswouldneedtoincreaseper-pupilspendingbymorethan$1,000toachievethesameresultsthataregainedwithparentalinvolvement.Researchshowsthatthemosteffectiveformsofparentinvolvementarethosethatengageparentsorotherfamilymembersinworkingdirectlywiththeirstudentsonlearningactivitiesathome.Decadesofresearchhavefoundthatfamilyinvolvementcanleadtohighergrades,testscores,andgraduationrates;betterschoolattendance;increasedmotivation,betterself-esteem;lowerratesofsuspension;decreaseduseofdrugsandalcohol;andfewerinstancesofviolentbehavior.

Inastudyof29parentinvolvementprograms,familyparticipationineducationwastwiceaspredictiveofstudents’academicsuccessasfamilysocioeconomicstatus.Andthemorethatfamiliesareinvolvedinschoolingatmultiplelevels–asadvocates,decisionmakers,fundraisers,volunteersandparaprofessionals,andashometeachers–thegreaterthepositiveimpactonstudentachievement.WecanlooktobestpracticesfromprogramsincitieslikeBaltimoreorCincinnatiforwaystoimprove.Tobetterengageparents,Iwillworkwithschooldistrictsto:

• ExpandtheCommunitySchoolsmodel.Thisisanintegrationofservicesfocusedon

academics,healthandsocialservices,youthandcommunitydevelopment,andcommunityengagement,whichleadstoimprovedstudentlearning,stronger

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familiesandhealthiercommunitiesandhasbeensuccessfulinAlbuquerqueandLasCruces.IwillpromoteCommunityschoolsstatewide,includingbyexpandingthenumberofschool-basedhealthclinicsaspartofwaytointegratefamilyandcommunityservicesintotheschool’smission.

• Workwithschooldistrictsandparentstochangetheschoolcultureandfosterhigherexpectationsfortheirchildrenandtheirschools.Schools,principals,teachers,andstudentsdobetterincommunitieswithhighexpectations,whileunderperformingschoolsoftensufferfromentrenchedculturesoflowexpectations.Wemustworktocreateacultureofhighexpectationsandcommunityinvolvementtoreimagineourschools.

• Hirecommunityschoolcoordinatorstoworkwithprincipalstomaketheschoola

centerforcommunityengagementthatsupportsstudentachievement.

• Developparentalinvolvementplanstoensurethatparentsandfamiliesareinvolvedinhelpingstudentsmeettheirpotential.

• Bringparents,familyschoolsandthelocalcommunityintotheprocesstodevelop

andexecuteschoolimprovementplans.Byengagingtheentirestakeholdercommunity,schools,andthestudents,havethebestchanceofachievingthegoals.

9:Makesureeverystudentinpublicschoolhasanequalopportunitytolearnandget

ahead.

NewMexico’sstrengthisinitsdiversity,buttoenjoythebenefitsofthatdiversity,wemustensurethateverystudenthastheopportunitytogetthebesteducationpossible.Currently,wearefailingtomeetthatobligation–infact,weareevenbeingsuedforfailingtomeetthisobligation.Today,childrenwithdisabilities,low-incomestudents,NativeAmericans,andEnglishLanguageLearnersallfacechallengestoachievingaqualityeducationinourschools.AsGovernor,IwillworktoensurethatallofNewMexico’sstudentshaveanequalopportunityatahigh-qualityeducation.Thisbeginsbyfullyfundingeducationineveryschooldistrictandreversingthedraconianfundingcutsmadeinourclassroomsoverthelasteightyears.

Wewill:

• KeepourcommitmenttostrongDualLanguageandEnglish-language-learners(ELL)education.NewMexico’sSpanish-speakingandNativeAmericanpopulationsmakeourstateoneofthemostdiverseinthenation.NewMexico’slegalstructuresupportsthisdiversitybyprovidingoptionsforbilingualteaching.Today,465schoolsaroundthestateofferbilingualeducationtomorethan15percentofNewMexico’sstudents.NotonlydoesDualLanguageeducationhelpprovide

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opportunitiesforadiversegroupofstudents,italsoproduceshighertestscoresandresultsthansingle-languageprograms.QualityduallanguageprogramshavebeenshowntoimproveoutcomesnotonlyinEnglish,butinallfields.

• IwillsupportmaintainingallfivemodelsofDualLanguageeducation,providingstudentstheopportunitiestheydeservetolearnorimprovetheirnativelanguagewhilebecomingproficientEnglishusers.

• Further,weshouldimprovetheseprogramsbyprovidingmoreteacherswithduallanguagecertificationandprofessionaldevelopmentopportunitiesandstrengtheningtheBilingualSealdiplomaprogram,whichreflectsastudent’shighlevelofproficiencyinasecondlanguage.

• TrainmoreteachersinELLeducationtoexpandopportunityforkidsacrossourstate.Giventheculturalsignificanceandeducationalimportanceofduallanguageeducation,wemustdobetter.

• Supportmeaningfulopportunitiesineveryschooldistrictforstudentswithdisabilitiesorlearningdisabilities.NewMexiconeedstoworkacrosstheboardtoincreaseopportunitiesforandimprovethelivesofNewMexicanswithphysical,developmental,orlearningdisabilities.Thisshouldincludeincreasedaccessto1:1aideswhohaveabackgroundinspecialeducationandmoreopportunitiesforteamteaching.Wemustalsoreformofourtestingandevaluationsystemtoincludeafocusontreatingspecialeducationstudentsandteacherswiththerespectandresourcestheydeserveratherthandiscouragingordevaluingthem.Ourspecialeducationneedstobeempowering,notdemeaning.Insmalldistrictswherebuildingafullspecialeducationinfrastructureismoredifficult,wewillusetechnologiestobetterprovideforstudentsinneed.Forexample,web-basedtoolscanhelpchildrenorganizetheirthoughts,stayon-taskandcaptureeverythingspokeninclass.

• Supportourmostvulnerablepopulationsbytargetingtheirschoolsforimprovement.Ashighlighted,thecurrentteacherandschoolevaluationspunisheducatorsandschoolsthatservedisadvantagedstudents.Weneedtoprioritize,notpunish,theseschoolsandeducators.Wewilldevelopplansthatincentivizeleadingeducatorstotakeonthesechallenges,andmakesuretheseschoolsareengagedwiththeircommunities,empoweringdisadvantagedfamiliestobecomefullparticipantsintheirkids’success.

10.MakingcertainthatNewMexicoAmericanIndianpopulationsarewell-servedbythestate’spubliceducationsystem.

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ThecurrentadministrationhasfailedtoeffectivelyserveNewMexico’sapproximately35,000AmericanIndiansenrolledinpublicschools.Asgovernor,IwillensurethatwerespectandupholdtheIndianEducationActbypursuingspecificimprovementplansforAmericanIndianpopulationsandfullyparticipatingingovernment-to-governmentconsultation.Furthermore,IwillsupportTribalSovereigntyandensurethesecommunitiesarewellservedbyrecruitingandtrainingmoreeducatorsandgrowingCulturallyRelevantIndigenousEducationeffortsstatewide.

NewMexicodoesnotdoenoughtosupportthenearly35,000AmericanIndiansinthestate’spublicschoolsystem.Proficiencylevelsinreading,math,andsciencearelowerthanthoseforanyothergroup.Andgraduationandattendanceratesandcollegecompletionratesremainlowerthanthoseforallstudents.

Atthesametime,thecurrentadministrationhasfailedtotakethestatutoryrequirementsandspiritofthe2003IndianEducationActtoheartandGovernorMartinezhasevenvetoedpopularbipartisanbillsthatwouldrequireschooldistrictstoaddresstheneedsofAmericanIndianstudentsinNewMexico.WeneedleadershipthatwilltakethedutiesenumeratedintheIndianEducationActtoheart,supportTribalSovereignty,andhelpputculturallyrelevantcurriculaandtalentededucatorsinschoolsservingAmericanIndianstudents.

• Respect,uphold,andimprovetheIndianEducationAct.In2003theNewMexicolegislaturepassedthehistoricIndianEducationActwithwidespreadbipartisansupport.TheactcreatestheIndianEducationDivisionandtheIndianEducationAdvisoryCounciltothePEDandoutlinesanumberofrequirementsforPEDanddistrictstohelpcloseachievementgapsandprovideAmericanIndianstudentsacrossNewMexicowiththeeducationtheydeserve.Buttheambitiousagendaprovidedforunderthisacthasstalledunderthecurrentadministration.TheGovernorhasfailedtoshowuptogovernmenttogovernmentmeetings.TheIndianEducationAdvisoryCouncilhasdetailedasituationinwhich“verylittleefforthasbeenmadebythestateandBIEschoolsystemstoaddressthedropoutrate,theattendanceproblems,thelowestproficienciesscores,andotherproblems”andthereremainnospecificprojectstoaddresstheachievementgapforAmericanIndianstudents.TheGovernorhastwicevetoedabillthatwouldrequireschooldistrictstodevelopplanstoaddressthisgap.AsGovernor,Iwillchangethisandbeanactiveparticipantingovernment-to-governmentconsultation.Iwillre-engageourtribesandpueblosandurbanIndianpopulationsacrossthestatetoensuretheyhaveavoiceintheirkids’education.Theserelationshipsmustbeactiveandeffectiveandincludesuperintendents,triballeaders,educators,andotherstakeholderswithinthecommunity.ThiswillenableustosupportIndigenousLanguageprograms,curriculumdevelopmentinitiatives,

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andkeysupportservicesthatstudentsneed.

• SupportTribalSovereigntyineducation.NewMexicotribesarecurrentlynotprovidedtheresourcesorsupportneededtobuildtheeducationalcapacitytheydeserveassovereignnationstoreachgoalsandmilestonesnecessarytofuelIndigenousEducationmodelsofExcellenceandRelevance.• ThefederalElementaryandSecondaryEducationAct(ESSA)allowstribes

flexibilitytoseekwaiverstodevelopandpilotIndigenousLanguageassessments.InHawaii,studentsparticipatinginapilotlanguageprogramcreatedalternativeassessmentsintheirlanguageandhadopportunitiestoinnovate.NewMexico’sPEDshouldprovideTribalgovernmentsandschoolsthesupporttheyneedshouldtheydecidetoseekthesewaivers.

• Further,PEDandtheIndianEducationDepartmentmusthelpproviderealcoordinationbetweenpublic,charter,BIE-run,andTribalBIEgrantschoolssothatcurricula,supportservices,anddataarefocusedonstudentsuccessacrossalltheseskillsregardlessofwhereNativeAmericanstudentsattendschool.NewMexicohasaroletoplayinholdingBIEschools–whichareoftenpoorlymanaged–fullyaccountableforgivingkidstheeducationtheydeserve.Furthermore,NewMexicocanplayaroleinbuildingrelevantcommunityschoolmodelsforNativeAmericancommunities.Andtribeswhoseektoruntheirowngrantschoolsshouldhavethetechnicalsupportandresourcesnecessarytorunsuccessfulautonomousoperations.

• TheIndianEducationdivisionshouldworkwithtribesandschoolsservingIndigenouscommunitiestotargetfederalandnonprofitgrantsavailableforbuildingstrongerandmoreinnovativeeducationsystemsservingthesepopulations,andwemustsupportthefundingnecessarytogrowandsustaintheIndianEducationActFund,allowingIEDtodoitsjob.

• Finally,wemustensurethatfederalTitleVIIIImpactAidfunds,intendedforthesupportofIndianEducation,areinfactusedtosupportthesestudents.Currently,impactedschooldistrictsonlyreceive25percentofthesefunds,withtherestgoingtostatefunding.Aswebringinmorefundsforpubliceducationoverall,wewilldirectagreatershareofthesepaymentstotheschoolsanddistrictsforwhichtheyareintended.

• Recruitandtrainandsupporteducatorstoservetribalcommunitiesandstudents.ThehighestconcentrationofteachingvacanciesisinnorthwesternNewMexico,wheremanyAmericanIndianstudentsareserved.Thereareseveralstepswemusttaketoensurethatwetrainandretainteacherswhoarepreparedtoteach

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Indigenouslanguages,culturallyrelevantcurricula,andSTEAMfieldssostudentsaresupportedculturallyandpreparedforcollege,careers,andleadership.

• PromoteanefforttogroweducatorsforNativeAmericancommunitiesthrough

opportunitiessuchastheIndigenousEducationCorps,workingwithourhighereducationpartners,andbuildingtribalteacherpreparationefforts,whichgiveyoungpeoplein-schoolexperiencebeforetheyseekteachingcredentials.

• CoordinateopportunitiesandbuildasystemicapproachacrossthestatewithentitiessuchasSanJuanCollege,DinéCollege,CNM,UNM,NMSUandotherhighereducationinstitutionstotrainanddevelopNativeAmericanteachersandensurethattraininginIndigenouslanguagesisavailableandsustained.Indigenousstudentsneedtobesupportediftheydecidetopursuecareersineducation.

• Supporttribes’abilitytocertifyteachersandprovidecredentialsinlanguagesorotherspecializedsubjects.

• EnsureaccesstoSTEAM-certifiedteachersandexpandcomputersciencecurriculatoallschoolsandincreaseaccessforNativeAmericanstudents.

11. PreparingeveryStudentforSuccessinCollegeoraCareer

Unmanageablefinancialburdenisonlyonereasonwhystudentsdon’tsucceed.Educationisnotaone-size-fits-allendeavor.Ourdiversestudentpopulationneedsdiverseoptionsforpursuingpost-secondaryeducationgoals.Whenstudentsareunpreparedacademicallyoremotionally,unabletotravelorrelocate,orcan’tfindaprogramthatfitstheirinterestsorneeds,theyarelesslikelytobesuccessful.Ifwe’recommittedtoincreasingstudentsuccess,wemustbecommittedtoaddressingallofourstudents’needs.Onewaytomakeoureducationsystemasdiverseasourstudentsistoexpandtheoptionsstudentsareabletoconsider,andthentoensurethattheyarepreparedtosucceed.

Weneedto:

• Ensurethatourstudentsarepreparedforpost-secondaryeducation.Nationally,17percentofnewcollegeanduniversitystudentsrequireremedialcoursesinmathandEnglishbeforetheycanbegincollege-levelcourses.Withnearly40percentofNewMexico’snewcollegeanduniversitystudentsinneedofremedialmathorEnglishclasses,we’reclearlydoingsomethingwrong.Andtheproblemgoesbeyondjustalackofpreparedness:studentswhorequireremedialclassesarelesslikelytofinishtheircertificateordegreeprogrambecausetheygetdiscouragedoritincreasesthelengthoftheprogramtoomuch.InNewMexico,only19percentofpost-secondarystudentswhotake

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remedialclassesgraduate,comparedtoanaveragegraduationrateof41.7percent.Thismethodofpost-secondaryschoolssimplytryingtogetstudentscaughtupdoesnotserveourstudentswell.

Withsomanyofourcollege-boundhighschoolgraduatesfallingshortincoredisciplines,thereisclearlyadisconnectbetweenwhat’sbeingtaughtinhighschoolsandwhatisneededforpost-secondaryeducation.It’sunfairtostudentsandtheirfamiliestobetoldupongraduatinghighschoolthattheyhavelearnedwhattheyneedforcollege,onlytofindonthefirstdayofcollegethattheyarealreadybehind.

• Iwillconveneataskforcetoalignhighschoolcurriculawithpost-secondaryrequirements.ThiseffortwillincludetheHigherEducationDepartmentandPublicEducationDepartment,aswellrepresentativesfromhighschools,colleges,anduniversities,includingstudents.Thiseffortispartofmybroaderplantoimproveeducation–K-12,K-20,K-forlife–forallNewMexicans.

• Providesupportandfundinginthemeantimeforinnovativeprogramsthatworktopreventtheneedforcollegeremediationcoursesandmakesurethatnewcollegeanduniversitystudentsaresuccessful.OnepromisingprogramalreadyinplaceinsomeNewMexicohighschoolsisGEARUP:GainingEarlyAwarenessandReadinessforUndergraduatePrograms.Thisfederally-fundedprogramworkswithstudentsingrades7through12andfirst-yearcollegestudentswhograduatefromGEARUPprograms.Itisdesignedtoeliminatetheneedforremediationworkforthosewhoproceedtocollege.Theprogramfocusesnotonlyonstrengtheningstudents’academicskills,butoncollegepreparationthroughsitevisitstopost-secondaryschools,helpwithcollegeapplications,andworkwithteacherstopromotecriticalthinkingskills.Resultsfromthispromisingprogramarestillbeingcollected.Unfortunately,ourgrantforthisprogramwillbeendingin2019.

• Supportthecreationanddevelopmentofadvisingandmentoringprogramsthatworktohelpstudentssuccessfullytransitionfromhighschooltopost-secondaryeducation.Helpwithdecisionmaking,support,andexperiencedrolemodelscanallensurethatthetransitionfromhighschooltopost-secondaryschoolismoresuccessful.Forexample:

• Earlycollegeprogramshelpstudentsthinkaboutcareeroptionsthatalignwiththeirinterestsandtalentsandidentifylocalcollegesanduniversitiesthatcouldbeagoodfit.

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• Nearpeermentoringprogramspairslightlyolderstudentswhohavesuccessfullynavigatedthecollegeadmissionsprocesswiththosestillinhighschool.Theseprogramsgivehighschoolstudentsmoreaccesstosupportthantheycangetfromtraditionalschoolguidancecounselorsandcanbuildempatheticandsupportiverelationshipsthathelptheyoungerstudentmaketheirwaysuccessfully.

• Summer“nudgingprograms”thatprovideregularremindersoverthesummertohelpstudentskeeptrackoftasksrelatedtoapplyingandenteringcollege.Thesepersonalizedtextsandemailsgentlyremindstudentsaboutupcomingdeadlinesforeverythingfromfinancialaidformstoupcomingplacementexamsandhelpkeepkidsontrackforcollege.

Furthermore,Iwillsupportthecreationanddevelopmentofadvisingandmentoringprogramsthatworktohelpstudentssuccessfullytransitionfromhighschooltopost-secondaryeducation.Noteverystudentwillgotocollegeandweneedtoprepareforthosewhodon’ttobesuccessfulintheircareers.Thismeansstrongcareerandtechnicaleducationprograms.Onceourstudentsareprepared,weneedtomakesurethatthecareerpathsandeducationalopportunitiestheyneedareavailabletothem.Therecanbestigmaassociatedwithgoingintothetradesandvocationalprogramsinsteadofchasingamoreprestigiousdegree,butthisisamyththatisharmfultoourstateandharmfultoourstudents,andweneedtoworktoovercomeit.

Today’scareerandtechnicaleducationprograms(CTE)canincludetraditionalvocationalstudiessuchasautobodyandcarpentry,andhavegrownintosomuchmore.Coursesofstudymayincludebusinessandfinance;culinaryandhospitality;healthscience;lawandpublicsafety;mediaandcommunications;andarchitectureandconstruction.EffectiveCTEprogramsteachskillsthatcanbeusedtolaunchaprofessionrightoutofhighschool,butthatarealsoflexibleenoughtotransferbetweenfieldsandcanbebuiltonthroughcontinuingeducationthroughoutone’scareer.SuchprogramsoftenpartnerwithbusinessestoprovidestudentswithinternshipsandauthenticworkopportunitiesandconnectthetechnicalfieldswithacademicsubjectssuchasEnglish,history,scienceandmath.

Let’sbeclear:thisisnotyourparents’shopclass.InrobustCTEprograms,woodworkingclassesteachstudentstoreadblueprints,makedetaileddrawings,andusethemachineryfoundintoday’swoodworkingindustry.AutomotiveCTEpathwayspreparestudentstoworkwiththecomputerizedequipment,electronicsandadvancedmaterialsthatarenowstandard,andcutting-edgetechnologysuchasfuelcellsorelectriccardesign.

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Weknowpost-secondaryeducationisnotone-size-fits-all.Although70percentofourhighschoolgraduatesstartoffbygoingtocollege,only41.7percentofthoseinpublicfour-yearschoolsgraduatewithinsixyears,andonly13.0percentofthoseinourpublictwo-yearschoolsgraduatewithinthree-years.

Andthehigh-schoolgraduateswithoutcollegedegreeswhoaredoingthebest?They’retheoneswiththeskillsandtrainingtolandjobsnottraditionallyassociatedwithadvanceddegrees-jobsinfieldssuchasmanufacturing,construction,mining,andagriculture,thesamegood-payingjobsourcommunitiesneedfillediftheyaregoingtothriveandgrow.AsGovernor,IamgoingtoworkwiththePublicEducationDepartmentandHigherEducationDepartmenttoidentify,reinvest,anddeveloprobustCTEprogramsacrossthestate.

Alongwithourstudents’needfordiverseeducationalprograms,theyneedmoreoptionswhenitcomestoobtainingtheireducation.Weneedtorecognizethatwearealargebutsparselypopulatedstate,andthatdespitethelargenumberofpost-secondaryeducationalinstitutionsoutthere,therewillalwaysbestudentswhodonotlivenear,norareableorwanttorelocateto,schoolsthatoffertheprogramstheyareinterestedin.Thatdoesnotmeanpost-secondaryeducationshouldbeoutofreach.On-linelearningisagrowingfieldthatcanbeespeciallyvaluabletolow-incomeandfirst-generationstudentswhoaremorelikelytofallbehindinlarge,impersonalclassrooms.Tosupportremotelearning,weneedthebroadbandinfrastructurethatcandeliverdigitaleducationalprogrammingtoeverycornerofthestate.AsGovernor,Iwillprioritizemakinghigh-speedbroadbandaccessavailableataffordablepricestoallNewMexicans,nomatterwheretheylive.

This 11-point plan is comprehensive andambitious. Itwill take the combined efforts ofeducators,parents, studentsandcivic leaders tomakerealpositivechangehappen. Iwillinclude educator, student, parentand communityvoiceswhenmakingdecisionsaffectingNewMexicoschools.ItwillbechallenginganditwilltaketimebutIbelieveitcanbedonebecause I believe in the people of NewMexico. Our schools are the cornerstone of ourcommunities.Theyarethefoundationofoureconomy.Ifweprepareourchildrenforthefuture, they will realize their dreams, participate fully in their communities as active,responsiblecitizensandhelpusallrealizethedreamofaneconomicallyvibrantNewMexico.IamreadytogettoworkasGovernortomakethathappen.