This upcoming legislative session advocates will focus on how to move New Mexico out of its last place ranking in education, especially as school districts across the state continue to see low test scores. Think New Mexico shares its legislative priorities, but also what New Mexicans want to see as a result of recent polling.
Education in the state is facing many challenges that impact student success like chronic absenteeism and educators leaving the profession citing burnout and a lack of support for administrators. The nonprofit think tank found from its surveys that voters are interested in capping class sizes, requiring more training for school boards and requiring civics education.
Education Reform Director with Think New Mexico Mandi Torrez, said one of the issues with current laws on class sizes is with the averaging language used.
"Across grades 1 to 3 districts are required to have an average of 22 students. So what that means is you can potentially have a first grade class of 15 students, a second grade class of 15 students, and then a third grade class of 36 students, that works out to an average of 22 students. So averaging kind of creates these inequitable learning conditions" said Torrez.
Torrez said Think found almost 96% of voters support capping class sizes as they consider it to correlate to student success. She added that by focusing on reducing elementary class sizes the youngest students can get a strong educational foundation, while schools can improve working conditions for teachers and boost the workforce.
This coverage is made possible by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and KUNM listeners.
