Education is a major focus during this year’s legislative session, especially as the Governor has underscored the importance of working towards providing nation-leading education in her State of the State address this/last week. Lawmakers are proposing a bill that would provide more funding for the development of bilingual education in hopes of strengthening the state’s response to the Yazzie/Martinez decision.
That landmark decision handed down 5 years ago promised to ensure the state provides an equitable education to several groups of at-risk students, one being bilingual students.
House Bill 39 aims to allocate funding to higher education, tribal colleges, and the Public Education Department to strengthen higher education programs by working to recruit students to complete bilingual education degrees and developing culturally responsive instruction.
One of the bill’s sponsors, Democratic Representative and educator Yanira Gurrola, said there has been a band-aid approach to implementing the court’s decision and by investing in higher education this bill would increase professional capacity.
"Right now, we have shortage of everything. And these programs at the universities are struggling to survive. For these programs to survive are close to $30 million investment in the budget and it’s not happening. They are surviving with cents on that money" said Gurrola.
Melissa Candelaria, member for the Yazzie counsel and education director at the New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty said, this bill is an important opportunity and the next step in making sure the state meets the mandates of the Yazzie/Martinez ruling.
“HB 39 is an important opportunity…over the last 5 years since the court ruled the State of NM is violating students’ right to a sufficient education, the Legislature has increased funding for public schools. The next step in this legislative session is for lawmakers to pass HB 39 to target funding to culturally relevant teacher recruitment, workforce and curriculum development, and support services.”
The bill is currently in the House Education Committee. If it passes it goes next to House Appropriations and Finance.
