Latest news with #LegislativeEducationStudyCommittee
Yahoo
26-07-2025
- Yahoo
Working group offers recommendations for AI use in schools to NM lawmakers
NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – Artificial intelligence is quickly integrating into different fields, including schools. But how can New Mexico schools and students use it safely and ethically? On Wednesday, the Legislative Education Study Committee heard from a working group of school staff, students, and non-profits on their recommendations on policy surrounding AI. Story continues below News: UNM issues shelter in place as shooting leaves 1 dead, 1 injured on Albuquerque campus Trending: VIDEO: Albuquerque bus driver stabs passenger after fight on the bus Community: What's happening in New Mexico July 25-31? Lavender in the Village Festival and more 'Every job in some way is beginning to incorporate AI. And so, if PED fails to provide schools with the tools they need to learn how to use AI with integrity and with safety and knowledge of natural biases of these machines, it means they will be woefully unprepared for entering a career,' said Andrew Proctor, a student at East Mountain High School. The working group was formed as a result of HM 2 in the last legislative session. On Wednesday, the group told lawmakers that AI policy should ensure equitable access to AI in all New Mexico schools. That recommendation includes having an oversight body at the New Mexico Public Education Department who would help schools find funding opportunities to implement AI and also create a vetting system so schools know which AI tools are safe to use. 'We should be working to ensure AI use in New Mexico dismantles existing barriers, not creates new ones,' said Francine Binnert, Librarian, Cottonwood Classical Preparatory School. The group also recommended ongoing professional development for teachers on the technology. 'AI is moving faster than our systems can keep up, and without thoughtful leadership, educators will thrive while others fall behind. Not because of effort but training and guidance,' said Jaycie Homer, Teacher, Lovington Municipal Schools. The group also highlighted the importance of safety laws addressing different concerns, like personal data if a student's information is entered, or cyberbullying if a student uses a chatbot to create mean messages for a peer. Lawmakers are considering the recommendations ahead of the upcoming 30-day session. 'They're going to use it. But I am concerned about ensuring students are developing critical thinking skills. So, how are we ensuring that?' said Sen. Anthony Thornton (R-Bernalillo, Sandoval, Santa Fe & Torrance Counties). The legislative session begins on January 21, 2026. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
How could New Mexico schools be impacted by withholding of federal funds?
NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – It was stunning news for state public education agencies across the country. The day before federal funds, approved by Congress, were supposed to be distributed, the Trump Administration sent an email saying they're reviewing the nearly $7 billion in funds and freezing that money during the review. Story continues below Crime: Albuquerque police: Child exploitation sting was a success Trending: Poll: What is the strangest town name in New Mexico? News: How could New Mexico schools be impacted by withholding of federal funds? Wildfire: Couple loses home to Trout Fire burning in the Gila National Forest 'They didn't give states a lot of indication of what they're reviewing or why they're reviewing them, only that they were going to take a look at these,' said John Sena, Director of Legislative Education Study Committee, to lawmakers on Wednesday. There are still a lot of questions about what is going on at the federal level, but during an interim committee hearing on Wednesday, a group of lawmakers learned what the potential impact could be on New Mexico Schools. Lawmakers learned the money being withheld is used for five main categories: migrant education, professional development for teachers, English acquisition learners, who account for about 18.8% of New Mexico students, support to schools that are struggling, and after-school programs. Early numbers presented at the hearing show about $18 million would be withheld from professional development for teachers and $10 million for after-school programs. Among all five categories, the withheld funds total to about $44 million and would impact about 185 staffing positions in the Public Education Department and local school agencies. Sena also said the cuts could impact how New Mexico meets requirements in the Yazzie-Martinez settlement. 'Other than those, most of those federal grants that we normally receive, the [Department of Education] has received notification that they will get those grants. They haven't seen huge fluctuations in those grants from previous years,' Sena told lawmakers. The Trump administration is also considering consolidating 18 grants into one block grant. 'And would both mean a reduction in $3.8 billion in total funding, but would also then leave it up to states how they spend whatever allocation they get,' said Sena. Sena said his team is also working with the New Mexico Public Education Department to see how the impounded funding will impact each district individually. KRQE News 13 reached out to NMPED for comment, and a spokesperson said they are still trying to get more information on the impounded funds. Sena also warned lawmakers that the changes that could be coming to Medicaid could impact New Mexico schools, saying if eligibility is changed, the state might be on the hook to pay more to keep lunches free for all New Mexico students. 'It's disappointing but, sadly, not surprising that the Trump Administration is targeting public education funding. New Mexicans can rest assured that Gov. Lujan Grisham will fight for the federal education funding our state deserves,' said Michael Coleman, Communications Director for Office of New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, in an emailed statement to News 13. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Funding for English learners in public schools at risk, New Mexico budget analyst warns
A budget analyst for the New Mexico Legislature says the federal funding for K-12 public education most at risk of being cut is meant for students who are English language learners and their teachers. (Getty Images) A public school budget expert told New Mexico lawmakers on Thursday that the federal government is likely to take away money meant for students who are learning English, but said a new state law will help compensate for the loss. Legislative Education Study Committee Senior Fiscal Analyst Daniel Estupiñan said the federal funding for K-12 public education most at risk of being cut is meant for students who are English language learners and their teachers, called Title III, because the Trump administration has 'mostly hollowed out' the Office of English Language Acquisition, which ensured states and schools properly spent Title III money, and has recommended terminating its funding source. The office had just one staffer remaining as of March 21, Chalkbeat reported. 'So many nonprofits, so many other states, are basically going into a panic,' Estupiñan told the committee. 'They're panicking about their public school funding formulas not being responsive enough to potentially support English learners, to potentially support low-income students and support professional development in basic programs.' Overall, New Mexico will receive more than $633 million from the U.S. Department of Education for K-12 public education this year, according to estimates included in Estupiñan's presentation to the committee. The Trump administration's preliminary budget proposal proposed keeping the same level of funding for low-income students and students with disabilities, while also cutting $4.5 billion in the various 'formula awards' that go to public schools, according to Estupiñan's presentation. Estupiñan said the proposal calls for redesigning the federal funding scheme for K-12 schools, and changing to a block grant system in which states would receive one large pot of money without as many rules governing how to spend it. How much money the federal government actually provides to schools will depend on the final budget passed by Congress. U.S. House Republicans push through massive tax and spending bill slashing Medicaid If left untouched, New Mexico may receive $4.7 million in English language learning funds that can pay for teacher training, family engagement and instructional materials, Estupiñan said. Estupiñan said the state could, however, navigate losing federal funding as a result of House Bill 63, which reduces the state's reliance on federal data. Instead, starting on July 1, New Mexico's funding formula for English learners will use state income tax data, public benefits data and U.S. Census Bureau data. 'So we're not completely independent from federal data, but we're moving in the direction of basically data autonomy,' Estupiñan said. That change will result in about $125 million flowing to districts and charter schools, and that money can be used to backfill a potential cut, he said. HB63 also created the first guidance New Mexico has ever had for how money should be used to specifically support English learners, he said. 'So if we see the elimination of Title III funding, or we see some revocation of federal protections through rule or statute for English learners, we now have a good foundation in state statute to build on,' Estupiñan said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Santa Fe judge finds state out of compliance with Yazzie/Martinez education ruling
You make the mess, you clean it up. That was the message Tuesday from a state district judge in Santa Fe who ruled the New Mexico Public Education Department has continually failed to comply with a landmark 2018 court order to provide a sufficient education to certain groups of at-risk students. Judge Matthew Wilson of the First Judicial District also ruled it was the department's job to fix the problem. He ordered the agency to develop a "comprehensive remedial plan" to comply with the ruling in Yazzie/Martinez v. State of New Mexico and set several deadlines. His ruling followed a hearing on a motion filed by plaintiffs in the lawsuit, asking the judge to assign the job of improving services and student outcomes to the Legislative Education Study Committee rather than the education agency. Nearly seven years after another state judge found in favor of the plaintiffs, they continue to decry what they see as a lack of successful solutions from the Public Education Department, even as lawmakers have made significant investments in education. The department argues, however, its mandate to ensure schools adequately educate groups of students cited in the lawsuit — Native Americans, English language learners, low-income kids and students with disabilities — pits it directly against districts that demand more local control. Attorneys for the plaintiffs said Tuesday the Legislative Education Study Committee has more expertise, stability and accountability than the education department and should be tasked with creating a plan to make improvements. Wilson denied that part of the motion, noting the committee is not a party in the lawsuit and he doesn't have the authority to direct it to create the plan. But he said the Legislative Education Study Committee and other stakeholders should be involved in crafting the plan and selecting outside experts and consultants to help. Wilson also laid out deadlines for the state to be in compliance, or risk court sanctions: * July 1: The Public Education Department must file a status report with the court and work with the Legislative Education Study Committee to identify outside experts and consultants to help draft the action plan. * Oct. 1: The state agency, along with stakeholders, must develop a draft plan, 'identifying all the components and elements necessary for a constitutionally sufficient and uniform education for at-risk students." * Nov. 3: The agency must develop a final plan and file a status report for the court's review. * Dec. 1: The Yazzie/Martinez plaintiffs' last day to file objections to the final plan. The state will then have 15 days to file a response, and the plaintiffs will have 15 days to file a reply. Wilson said he "anticipates a final comprehensive remedial plan." "I will bring the PED and the state into compliance with the court's final judgment and will ultimately conclude this litigation,' he said. 'Scattershot initiatives'? The state had one main argument against the plaintiffs' claims of continued noncompliance with a judge's 2018 ruling in the case. Rather, it had one number — 62% — referring to the state's roughly $1.7 billion increase in annual appropriations for public education between 2016, when the budget was $2.5 billion, and 2024, when it was $4.2 billion. 'Plaintiffs argued that this increase in funding makes no difference because PED has no plan how to spend it and no accountability over the districts. That is simply untrue,' said Taylor Rahn, a private attorney with Robles, Rael & Anaya, who represented the Public Education Department and Cabinet Secretary Mariana Padilla. Rahn pointed to examples of the department's oversight, such as education plans that require "school districts to articulate how they intend to spend at-risk funding.' She said the plaintiffs have an 'outright disregard of changes to inputs in the public education system.' Rahn also noted some areas of improvement, such as an increase in graduation rates for at-risk groups and the narrowing of an achievement gap between high- and low-performing students, one that is 'smaller than the national average.' While a boost in performance by economically disadvantaged students between 2022-23 and 2023-24 helped narrow the achievement gap, assessments showed it was also caused by a downturn in the academic performance of students from higher-income families. In a rebuttal to Rahn, Preston Sanchez, an attorney for the Yazzie plaintiffs, called the Public Education Department's efforts 'piecemeal' and 'scattershot initiatives that have had little to no impact' on at-risk student groups. He cited a few dismal statistics — for example, that 12% of special education students achieved scores showing proficiency in reading in 2022-23, compared to 38% of students overall statewide. As for the agency's accountability measures, he called the department's education plan a matter of 'checking boxes and paperwork' rather than a comprehensive means to vet school districts. Asking for overreach? Rahn argued the plaintiffs' request for the department to impose 'sweeping accountability measures' could lead to pushback from districts that oppose overreach. For instance, 54 districts joined together last year in filing a lawsuit against the department's rule requiring all schools to provide 180 days of instruction each year. A judge struck down the rule in February. Padilla said at the time the department was "dissatisfied" with the ruling and still believed "students can achieve better educational outcomes when we maximize learning opportunities." The plaintiffs' attorneys called into question the stability of the agency's leadership — given its five Cabinet secretaries since 2019 and the recent departure of Margaret Cage, director and deputy secretary of the Office of Special Education, after two years on the job. Rahn noted the agency has decreased its job vacancy rate since 2016 and has created 'dozens of new positions, many of which are targeted in at-risk student areas.' She said, ' Plaintiffs make the allegation that PED cannot be trusted to lead or cannot be trusted to comply with court orders because we've had several secretaries since the time of the court ruling. There is no court relief that could change that. People are allowed to change positions; people are allowed to seek different positions." She also pointed to the plaintiffs' request for remedies to teacher vacancies in at-risk areas — saying they were "suggesting that the state must force teachers into certain at-risk classrooms." ' The court does not have the power to override teacher union agreements," she said. Wilson did not address the plaintiffs' calls for such specific actions but noted 'the relief sought by plaintiffs is reasonable and within the court's authority.' Martha Pincoffs, a spokesperson for the Public Education Department, wrote in an email after the hearing the state has "substantially increased funding, and taken significant steps" to improve student performance and educator retention.
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bill passed to create tribal immersion language schools
Jeanette DeDiosKUNM Native American students make up 11 percent of public school enrollment in New Mexico. Yet there are not enough resources for them to learn their Native languages. A bill passed in the recent legislative session will create new schools under a state-tribal compact to address those gaps. New Mexico has 23 sovereign tribes and among those tribes eight languages are spoken, but only seven are taught in school districts. Senate Bill 13 will create a five-year pilot program with five schools prioritizing distinct Native languages of Tiwa, Tewa, Towa, Keres, Apache, Zuni, and Diné. Bill co-sponsor Sen. Benny Shendo Jr. (D-Jemez Pueblo) said that many Native parents and grandparents have been conditioned to believe the only way to succeed was to speak English. 'But that's not true,' he said. 'I was born and raised speaking my language. It wasn't much later that I began to learn English. So how can that be when those of us that were fluent Native speakers are able to be successful in college and all the stuff that we're doing today?' He said a lot of Native students are struggling because they don't feel that they belong. 'And if we can really reground them in who they are, then I think it gives them that confidence for them to be able to go out and compete in the world in a way that they should be competing, not with anxiety about, who am I? Where do I belong?'' he said. Native American students have historically reported lower achievement and graduation rates than their peers. The New Mexico Indian Education Act stresses the importance of maintaining Native languages and culture. But programs providing these opportunities are currently limited within public schools. In 2018, a ruling in the Yazzie/Martinez lawsuit determined the state had failed to provide a sufficient education to Native American students as well as those learning English, living with disabilities or from families with low incomes. The Legislative Education Study Committee's analysis of the new legislation suggested it could offer the state an opportunity to respond to the lawsuit through targeted funding, creation of cultural learning environments and putting more teachers in classrooms with backgrounds similar to their students. The bill does not contain an appropriation, but will provide operational and capital outlay funding for immersion schools.
