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Five years ago, Judge Sarah Singleton ruled that New Mexico was failing to meet its constitutional requirement to provide a “sufficient” education to all students in a lawsuit now commonly referred to as Yazzie/Martinez. This important anniversary provides an opportunity for reflection; a time for us to stop and consider important questions.
- What is the state of education in New Mexico?
- Are the student groups named in the lawsuit better off today than they were five years ago?
- Has New Mexico made the progress we hoped for?
For the past few weeks, I’ve been consumed with alarming data involving education and child well-being in our state. Last month, the Annie E. Casey Foundation released the 2023 Kids Count Data, revealing that New Mexico ranked dead last in childhood well-being. A week later, the long-term trend results for 13-year-olds on the National Assessment for Educational Progress (NAEP) were released, showing historic drops in math and reading nationwide. And finally, recent nationwide data was released showing that students progress is slower than expected post-covid and that students need an average of 4 additional months of instruction to close the gaps.
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NEW MEXICO RANKS 50TH IN OVERALL CHILD WELL-BEING
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NEW MEXICO RANKS 50TH IN EDUCATION
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79% OF 4TH GRADERS ARE NOT PROFICIENT IN READING
was 76% in 2019 -
87% OF 8TH GRADERS ARE NOT PROFICIENT IN MATH
was 79% in 2019
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SINGLE LARGEST DROP IN MATH SCORES IN HISTORY
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9 POINT DROP IN MATH FROM 2020 TO 2023
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4 POINT DROP IN READING FROM 2020 TO 2023
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READING SCORES OF STUDENTS AT ALL PERFORMANCE LEVELS DECLINED FROM 2020
More distressing than the data points is the lack of response from our leaders. The responses I have seen leave a lot to be desired, “oh, that data doesn’t matter” or “don’t worry, things are better than they seem, just wait and see.” New Mexico–and America’s–students are in crisis. One that requires BOLD action, conversation and urgency.
For us to make meaningful progress in getting our kids back on track, we simply can’t put our heads in the sand and hope that the lost learning from shuttered school buildings during the pandemic will magically go away. We need to agree that the challenges before our children are significant. We need to rally resources and leadership to pursue bold policies that will allow our students not only to catch up but to thrive.
Change starts by being honest about our reality and having brave and courageous conversations. We can do better. I genuinely believe that. I even see it here in our own Land of Enchantment. I visit schools and classrooms delivering game changing results for our most struggling students. If I didn’t believe change was possible, I wouldn’t do this work. But I know real change is possible. We can do it. If we commit to it.
So, what can we do? What can you do?
Be informed. Start conversations. Don’t look away. Look at the data, and allow yourself to consider what it means for our future. Talk about it, with your families, with your colleagues, and most importantly, with our education leaders. Let them know that you are paying attention.
Here are two concrete actions you can take to start:
1. Forward this email to at least one friend and encourage them to sign up for our emails
2. Subscribe to nmeducation.org to stay informed on the latest education news
Change won’t happen overnight. It starts with us. I hope I can count on you to take one of the two actions above and join in this important conversation.