Education
More than 10% of New Mexicans eligible for student debt relief, numbers show
Figures released this week show that more than 1 in 10 New Mexicans are eligible to have some of their student loan debt wiped out. According to the White House, 215,900 New Mexican borrowers are eligible for at least $10,000 in debt relief, not to mention a slew of other changes meant to ease the […]
An ‘unprecedented flood’ of book bans engulfs U.S. school districts, PEN report says
WASHINGTON — More than 1,600 book titles across 32 states were banned from public schools during the 2021-2022 school year, with the bulk of the ban requests coming from a handful of right-wing groups pushing for censorship of books that feature LGBTQ+ characters and characters of color, a new report issued Monday said. “What I […]
Legendary author Rudolfo Anaya on banning books
Ten years ago, Bless Me, Ultima was being pulled from the shelves in Arizona classrooms as Tucson’s Mexican American Studies program was dismantled. I was a reporter at Albuquerque’s now defunct alt-weekly. In our rundown brick office, I pulled out the city’s actual phone book. The big old paper version was already like a thing […]
NM distributing hundreds of dollars for food to students in need
If your child received free or reduced lunch as of June 2022, break out that card again, because you may have some money on it from the state to cover food costs. This week the New Mexico Human Services Department will add $391 to families who received pandemic EBT cards to cover meals for public […]
Northern NM ranch wants to use wildfire to educate children, people with disabilities
CLEVELAND, N.M. – Lessons from the Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon wildfire could soon be taught to people with disabilities and students at a ranch that was saved by fire suppression efforts. Collins Lake Ranch, a 300-acre property surrounded by forest in Mora County, is a full time home for people with disabilities and their coaches. Steve […]
State reduces paperwork and feds fund prep program to chip away at teacher shortage
New Mexico teachers getting comfortable with their classrooms a few weeks into the school year could soon see support that would benefit their time with students. Following the announcement that the state’s Public Education Department found a way to eliminate 34% of administrative paperwork, the U.S. Department of Education awarded $2.1 million to a Four […]
Four years into court-mandated education reform, lawmakers look at compliance
It takes time to reform a failed system. That’s the message state lawmakers got from education leaders providing updates on the Yazzie-Martinez lawsuit that mandates reform in public schools across New Mexico. It’s been four years since Judge Sarah Singleton ruled the state has failed to provide adequate education to students who are English-language learners, […]
Preserving the natural sonic environment in Bears Ears
Sounds and vibration give life and disrupt it. Take a walk in any city park, and you’ll notice many wearing headphones to cancel out the noise that interjects modern urban existence. A walk in the bosque is only as serene as the distance between overpasses. Portable speakers are now common on hiking trails, furthering the […]
Biden to wipe out $10,000 in student loan debt for many borrowers
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden announced Wednesday that he will cancel up to $20,000 in federal student loan debt for Pell Grant borrowers and up to $10,000 for all other borrowers with an income of less than $125,000 for an individual and $250,000 for a household. Biden also announced his administration is extending a pause […]
NM universities raise awareness for monkeypox but haven’t set precautionary measures
College students all over the state are coming back to university campuses as school kicks off just a month after monkeypox was reported in New Mexico. But the largest institutions in Albuquerque and Las Cruces don’t have special measures set in place for the national public health emergency. Instead, university officials are putting a lot […]
UNM grad worker union rallies for rights on first day of school
The start of a new school year at the University of New Mexico welcomed students back with in-person classes, social events and the graduate student worker’s union rallying for their rights. Contract negotiations have been going on since May, but grad workers wanted to remind administration about their cause. At least a hundred workers representing […]
People of Middle Eastern, Northern African descent say census categories erase their experience
When Leena Aggad was applying to graduate schools, she was pleasantly surprised when she saw that one of the universities she was considering included Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) among the race and ethnicity categories on the application. “Seeing that made me feel more included,“ Aggad said. “And I actually took a picture of […]