Nov. 21, 2013
For more information, contact: Mai Syed 505-280-1057
Press Statement by AFT NM President Ly regarding November 20 statewide day of action.
AFT NM President Ly Commends Educators’ Action; Criticizes Administration’s Record of Non-Support
On November 20, tens of thousands of educators across the state of New Mexico sent a unified message that they are ready to take back the time for teaching, joy of learning and professionalism in public education.
“Educators are alarmed that instead of supporting students and educators, the PED and Governor Martinez have created an education crisis in New Mexico,” stated President Stephanie Ly. Under Governor Martinez and the PED, we have seen:
· New graduation requirements that have caused confusion and dismay for high school students
· An A-F grading system that is based almost entirely on test scores and punishes schools in low-income neighborhoods
· Less funding for “above-the-line” educational spending that has led to a lack of resources and increased classroom sizes
· Increased emphasis and time spent on standardized testing and less time on student learning; meanwhile student performance on national tests has not improved.
· New Mexico rated 50th in child well-being
“Our students are the future of our state. They need leaders dedicated to real educational policy informed by research and best practices from the field. We need to reclaim the promise for a world-class education system for New Mexico’s children,” said the AFT NM President.