Education
Gov. Lujan Grisham gets four more years
New Mexicans have signaled their approval of Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s first term by sending her back to the governor’s mansion for four more years. The Associated Press has called the hotly contested New Mexico governor’s race for Lujan Grisham, with 51.2% of the vote over Republican challenger Mark Ronchetti’s 46.4%. Libertarian Karen Bedonie […]
New Mexicans vote for kids
With the number of newborns, preschoolers and K-12 kids in attendance, it was a good thing the watch party for Constitutional Amendment 1 wrapped up before 9 p.m. since some of the children were asleep by the time the race was called in their favor. When they wake up and hear the news, they will […]
New Mexico students don’t have ‘learning loss.’ They’re living in a pandemic.
In its endorsement of the Republican candidate for New Mexico governor, the state’s largest newspaper wrote that “learning loss” was an inevitable outcome as “prolonged remote learning made a bad situation worse.” At a news conference in Albuquerque in September, Mark Ronchetti set the tone when he accused Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham of failing public […]
Affirmative action supporters rally outside the U.S. Supreme Court
WASHINGTON — The onset of rain did not deter students and supporters of affirmative action from protesting Monday morning outside the U.S. Supreme Court while justices considered two cases that could reshape the college admissions process. “It’s not a secret that if you eliminated race conscious policies, it would further diminish the number of students […]
U.S. Supreme Court justices cast doubt on affirmative action in college admissions
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative majority on Monday questioned the legality of race-conscious policies in college admissions, as the justices weighed two cases that could upend the admissions process many colleges use to try to boost diversity on campus. At issue are two cases that challenge the lawfulness of affirmative action at Harvard […]
A GOP showdown over the debt limit could grip Congress and the nation next year
WASHINGTON — Republicans are eyeing the debt limit and government funding deadlines as a way to force Democrats to the negotiating table for spending cuts, should the GOP regain control of Congress following the midterm elections. Republicans unhappy about government spending could move to shut down the government, a tactic unsuccessful for the GOP in […]
Lack of competition in Public Education Commission races may point to larger issues
New Mexico has ranked 50th nationally in education and recent standardized test score rankings showed fourth and eighth grade students came in last nationally for proficiency in both reading and math. This election, voters will see candidates for the Public Education Commission on their ballots. And while none of the races are contested, that may point to tension between […]
The student debt relief application is live: Here’s what you need to know
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden announced Monday that student loan borrowers can begin to apply for debt relief through a new online application. Biden said the application is easy and fast. It will allow every borrower with an income of $125,000 or less ($250,000 for married couples) to have up to $10,000 in debt forgiven, […]
Voters will decide whether to fund campus improvements at NM colleges and universities
New Mexico voters will decide in November whether to approve more than $259 million in general obligation bonds. Most would go toward funding improvements at higher education institutions without increasing taxes. There are three bond questions on the ballot. The largest by far allocates nearly $216 million to public and tribal colleges and universities, along with schools […]
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 […]