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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JULY 20, 2018
CONTACT: AMANDA ARAGON
EMAIL: AMANDA.ARAGON@NMKIDSCAN.ORG
Albuquerque, N.M. – A state judge ruled today that New Mexico is falling short of delivering its constitutional promise of a sufficient education for high-needs public school students. The judge, Sarah Singleton, has ordered the state government—including the governor and the Legislature—to adjust its funding system for education.
NewMexicoKidsCAN Founding Executive Director Amanda Aragon issued the following statement Friday in response to the court’s decision:
“While we’ll be spending the weekend understanding the implications of this ruling, what we know is more money is only as helpful as the impact the dollars make on student outcomes. Decision makers need to ensure any additional money spent education is spent on high-quality programs and supports for our most vulnerable students.”
She added: “New Mexico spends more per student than any state that neighbors is, so if we aren’t careful about how this money is spent we could just as easily find ourselves in the same place, at the bottom of education outcomes in every student subgroup. Our tax payers, and more importantly, our students deserve accountability and transparency in knowing how these funds will be spent.”
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About NewMexicoKidsCAN: NewMexicoKidsCAN: NewMexicoKidsCAN serves as a catalyst and conduit to advocate for community-informed, student-centered and research-backed education policies that work best for the children of New Mexico. By connecting policy, instructional practice and politics, we reimagine what is possible in New Mexico’s public education system.