State of New Mexico Archives: on Education
David Clements:
Reduce taxes so families can pay for private schools
As the Federal Government has increased the size and budget of the Department of Education, deficiencies in test scores and student performance have become more prevalent. The quality of the education of our children has not been improved by the policies
of a structurally unaccountable, inefficient and unelected bureaucracy.Critical decisions should be made locally. This would allow parents, teachers and community leaders, instead of out-of-touch Washington bureaucrats,
to determine the most efficient use of resources.
While there is a need for state-funded public education, I firmly believe that education starts with the family.
Accordingly, I will support any measure that relieves the tax burden on all hard-working parents so they can allocate more of their own resources to alternatives such as home-school and private schools.
Source: 2014 N.M. Senate campaign website, ClementsForNM.com
Feb 18, 2014
Joe Carraro:
Supports vouchers for public, private, and religious schools
Carraro supports the following principles regarding public education.- Provide parents with state-funded vouchers to send their children to any public school.
- Provide parents with vouchers to send their children to any private or religious
school.
- Allow a charter school to go directly to the state for chartering and oversight.
- Support national standards and testing of public school students.
- Require public schools to administer high school exit exams.
Source: 2004 N.M. Gubernatorial National Political Awareness Test
Nov 7, 2004
Joe Carraro:
Supports voluntary prayer in public schools
Carraro supports the following principles regarding education. - Endorse voluntary prayer in public schools.
- Support sexual education programs that include information on abstinence, contraceptives, and HIV/STD prevention methods.
- Support
abstinence-only sexual education programs.
- Increase state funds for hiring additional teachers.
- Support teacher testing & reward with merit pay.
- Provide state funding to increase teacher salaries.
- Increase funding for Head Start programs.
Source: 2004 N.M. Gubernatorial National Political Awareness Test
Nov 7, 2004
Susana Martinez:
Keep great teachers by retention rewards
In order to provide the best possible education for children, we must bring excellent teachers into our classrooms and we must keep them there. Throwing money at a subpar system simply has not produced the results that our students, teachers, and parents
deserve. A task force will develop a plan to find, reward, and retain great teachers who can give our students an education that will prepare them for success in college, in the workforce, and in life.
Source: 2011 N.M. gubernatorial press release #110519-1
May 19, 2011
Susana Martinez:
A-F school grading system will increase transparency
The new bills create a transparent A-F grading system that parents, educators and community members can easily understand.Strengthening accountability and increasing transparency in our schools are the keys to improving
the quality of education we offer every child in New Mexico. By recognizing progress and aiding struggling schools, we will give principals and teachers the tools they need to help students succeed.
Source: 2011 N.M. gubernatorial press release #110316_2
Mar 16, 2011
Susana Martinez:
The Bridge: joint high school diploma and associate's degree
We have an obligation to focus on raising our graduation rate and better prepare our high school students for New Mexico's workforce or for college. Let me tell you about a program called the Bridge. The Bridge program was created in response to the
gaps that existed between the needs of a 21st century economy and the preparedness of high school graduates in Dona Ana County. It's a partnership between the local business community, their community college, and their public schools.
Together, they established the state's first early college high school. Every student who will graduate from this school not only earns a high school diploma, but they also earn an associate's degree and, in some cases, a work-ready certificate.
That student is ready to be hired.
Since the Bridge Program has been operating, not one student has dropped out. This session, I'm pursuing a plan to take what the Bridge has accomplished in Dona Ana County and bring it to other areas of New Mexico.
Source: 2013 State of the State address to N.M. Legislature
Jan 15, 2013
Susana Martinez:
$13.5M for New Mexico Reads to Lead
With last year's "New Mexico Reads to Lead" investment, we hired reading coaches and were able to train nearly 2 thousand educators in methods proven to produce better readers. This year I propose we expand the "New Mexico Reads to Lead" program from
$8.5 million to $13.5 million. Our focus is on struggling schools--on offering a hand-up to those who need help. That's why I'm proposing $4.7 million in school turnaround programs to close the gap between high-performing schools and schools that are
struggling.
I want school districts to know and I want parents to know that I have heard their calls for more math and science teachers in New Mexico schools, particularly in low-income areas.
We have an exciting initiative to dedicate $2 million to recruit more math and science teachers, to move scientists and engineers to the classroom and to entice college graduates through loan forgiveness programs.
Source: 2013 State of the State address to N.M. Legislature
Jan 15, 2013
Tom Udall:
No Child Left Behind Act has hurt student achievement
Udall specifically criticized the No Child Left Behind Act and said it has hurt student achievement.
Source: 2008 N.M. Senate debate report in N.M.Business-Weekly
Aug 22, 2008
Michelle Lujan-Grisham:
College enrollment has increased for first time in a decade
Since we created tuition-free college, New Mexico college enrollment has increased for the first time in over a decade, and the number of first-time, full-time students has grown by nearly 10 percent--the second-highest college enrollment gain
of any state in the country. In some cases, grandparents, parents and their kids are all going to college at the same time--generating new possibilities and a new sense of promise for what we can achieve together.
Source: 2023 State of the State Address to the N.M. legislature
Jan 19, 2023
Michelle Lujan-Grisham:
New constitutional right to early childhood education
As our highly successful Early Childhood Trust Fund grows--and with our new nation-leading constitutional right to early childhood education--
we will provide child care and early education for each and every one of our families by investing more than half a billion dollars in targeted funding.
Source: 2023 State of the State Address to the N.M. legislature
Jan 19, 2023
Page last updated: Feb 18, 2023