Issue Position: Our Schools, Our Students

Issue Position

Early education available for every child. More teaching--less testing. Innovative schools.

As an educator who has taught students from pre-K to college, and who now teaches sixth grade language arts, I know we need to do more for our students and educators. I know that teachers are the bedrock of our nation, and that we can do more to support both our students and educators. I support:

Seeking ongoing funding for my House Bill 20, Grow your own teachers act, scholarships for educational assistants to become certified teachers;

Seeking ongoing funding for the newly passed House Bill 92 which I co-sponsored, the Teacher Residency Act--it sets up a robust plan to help those who have completed college become teachers and receive a decent stipend will doing so;

Investing in Early Childhood Education for every child in our state (through passing the Early Childhood Trust Fund and amending the New Mexico Constitution to tap the Land Grant Permanent Fund);

Continually supporting the newly established Early Childhood Education and Care Department established by Senate Bill 22;

Adequately funding all levels of education, including K-12 and higher education;

Recognizing the importance of play as an essential way young children learn;

Funding for research-based literacy and mathematics programs and innovative new programs like coding;

Recognizing the value of a well-rounded education that addresses the whole child and the need for resources across the full spectrum of education, including the arts, to ensure that each and every child in New Mexico has the opportunity to succeed in the field of their choice;

Launching a fair and balanced teacher evaluation system based on domain-centered classroom observations and discussions between educators and evaluators, surveys of parents and students, and evidence-based classroom practices.

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