Education
Pandemic highlights longtime tech-integration failures for public schools
COVID-19 has reasserted that our schools are completely ill-prepared to equitably use technology in the classroom. During my time attending school board meetings — and even in my time in public school — I saw quite a few questionable tech purchases, from lackluster web filters to funding an allegedly fraudulent learning software from the now-infamous […]
Website shows amount NM schools received from feds — and what districts spent
Want to see if New Mexico schools are spending the federal pandemic relief money? There’s a website for you. Check it. New Mexico’s Public Education Department launched a site that gives people a view into school district spending of CARES Act money for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER). The site now details specific […]
Universal pre-K, free community college included in sweeping reconciliation bill
WASHINGTON—The U.S. House Education & Labor Committee on Friday finished a marathon markup of legislation that would provide universal pre-K education, expand federal Pell Grants for college students and institute two years of free community college. The $761 billion measure, approved on a party-line 28-22 vote, will be combined with other pieces of Democrats’ giant […]
N.M. vaccine rollout hits the road with mobile clinics at schools
New Mexico continues to take its COVID-19 vaccine efforts to young people. The state’s Department of Health and Public Education Department are hosting several vaccination events this week at campuses in Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Española, Tucumcari and Mora. Anyone can get a jab at the mobile vaccination school events, though the focus on getting students […]
PED awards funds to support mental health services in public schools
Three New Mexico school districts were awarded $8.9 million to build resources to support mental health for students. Farmington Municipal Schools, Santa Fe Public Schools and Socorro Consolidated Schools were picked by the state’s Public Education Department to establish mental health service programs staffed by behavioral health specialists within the schools. Funding comes through the […]
New Mexico schools could benefit from flush budget if delta variant controlled
The state’s public school system could see a windfall of money as economists expect the local economy to partially recover from the economic downturn caused by COVID-19. New Mexico’s main pot of money, called the general fund, will total $8.8 billion in the upcoming year. State lawmakers will have $1.39 billion in “new money,” or […]
District policies block students from learning remotely after COVID scares
District policy allows only those students who enrolled in online school to attend it. That means students enrolled in in-person school can't take the online classes if they must quarantine. Instead, those students get a take-home packet of school work or nothing.
Big win for UNM grad workers in the fight for labor rights
Graduate workers at the University of New Mexico say a ruling earlier this month could help them address low wages, poor benefits, overwork and discrimination at their five campuses in New Mexico — and if conditions improve, there will be fewer systemic barriers to getting an advanced degree. New Mexico’s statewide labor board determined that […]
New Mexico begins five-year journey to solve broadband access problems
The digital divide may be narrowing in New Mexico, as the state uses federal pandemic relief funds to address two of the hurdles to accessing the internet here: broadband infrastructure and the monthly cost of net access for struggling families. The demands of remote schooling and equity in public education set the stage to make it happen after years and years of attempts in New Mexico.
100% of Rio Rancho’s in-person public schools had a COVID case this month
During the first month back to in-person learning, New Mexico’s third-largest school district has reported a COVID case every day. Cases popped up in every K-12 school — except for the SpaRRk Academy virtual school. Nearly 17,000 students attend Rio Rancho Public Schools. So far 115 cases have been reported in the district, requiring 516 […]