The Legislative Education Study Committee held its first interim meeting recently to begin building a plan on the many education issues in the state.
During the meeting at Bernalillo High School, LESC Director Gwen Perea Warniment and her staff laid out a plan to address some of the biggest educational challenges New Mexico is facing.
Among them are preparing both teachers and principles, re-engaging middle and high school students, and re-designing the public school funding formula.
Senator Craig Brandt (R- Sandoval) said there should be more focus on career technical education, which got a funding boost of 40 million dollars in the last legislative session.
"We need to make sure all of our students can go to college if that’s the route they choose," he said. "But that they’re also ready to do the other jobs that we desperately need in our communities and in our country. Which is where I think the CTE comes in."
Senator Michael Padilla (D-Bernalillo) focused on implementation ofthe Healthy Hunger-Free Students Bill of Rights Act that gives free breakfasts and lunches to all students. He proposed meetings with small and medium school districts to gain input.
"This additional year of implementation was all about letting folks get level set and think about it and come in and tell us what you put together is great and everything, but here’s what we really need," he said.
The committee will continue to host monthly meetings except in August ahead of next year’s 30-day legislative session. The meetings will be held in Taos, Grants, Clovis, Portales, Carlsbad and Santa Fe.
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