Let’s Talk New Mexico 11/17 8am: On this week’s show we look at what happens next now that voters approved a constitutional amendment to funnel more money from the Land Grant Permanent Fund into early childhood education and public schools.
The Permanent Fund is valued at around $21.6 billion, but that will fluctuate over the years based on the size of the trust funds, which is dictated by investment returns and income from state trust lands.
The amendment increases the distributions from the fund by 1.25%, of which 60% would go towards early childhood education and the rest would be distributed to public schools. Supporters have been pushing for this move for years, arguing that investments in children early on will yield cost savings in the long run, which is a point supported by numerous researchers and economists.
But opponents have argued the amendment could hurt overall returns from the trust fund and they have criticized the lack of specific plans for the money. What questions do you have about this money? What do you think it should be used for? Email us at LetsTalk@kunm.org or call in live during the show to (505) 277-5866.
Guests:
- Secretary Elizabeth Groginsky, New Mexico Early Childhood Education and Care Department
- Bill Jordan, Government Relations Officer, New Mexico Voices for Children
- Fred Nathan, Executive Director, Think New Mexico
- Elaine Sanchez, Executive Director, Native American Professional Parent Resources (NAPPR)
- Senator William Soules, retired educator and school administrator
Related Reading:
- "New Mexico just voted to make pre-K a universal right," Vox
- "A Roadmap for Rethinking Public Education in New Mexico," Think New Mexico
- "Editorial: Much of Think New Mexico’s roadmap for education worth exploring," Albquerque Journal
"New Mexico KIDS COUNT Profile," New Mexico Voices for Children
This episode is part of our Your New Mexico Government project, a collaboration between KUNM radio and New Mexico PBS. Support for public media provided by the Thornburg Foundation.
