El Paso Times guest column asks some hard questions

Seems some administrators missed the bus

NewsNM Swickard: while this is an opinion piece by a former principal in El Paso, it is a cause for all educators in our area to pay attention to the politics. Using political solutions for educational problems are certain to cause these kinds of actions. Again, this is alleged behavior, but I, Michael Swickard, Ph.D. in Educational Administration, feel it rings true. Exclusive from the El Paso Times - By John T. Roskosky \ Guest columnist- I usually refrain from writing letters to the editor, but I am making an exception in this case because I can no longer be silent on the activity of the El Paso Independent School District, specifically the board and central office administrators. Shame on you, Russell Wiggs! Your comment in last Sunday's (El Paso Times) paper labeling the unnamed former employee as a "disgruntled former employee" is the typical behavior from the board and central office administrators. I suppose that since I retired from the district due to the pressure imposed upon me by Dr. Lorenzo García, Dr. Damon Murphy, and Dr. Priscilla Terrazas, and I am now writing this letter, I, too, will be labeled as a "disgruntled employee" but I am not.  As an aside, I found out through the FBI investigation that I had been targeted for removal solely because I would not "disappear" my limited English proficient students.  My greatest joy came from being the principal of El Paso High School and I would have continued in that position but for the fact that I would not make my LEP students "disappear" and instead felt our duty was to educate all students, even though that was not what was expected.  My greatest disappointment came from seeing what my replacement did to a great school, excellent faculty, and a wonderful student body. Without even investigating the issue, you have already besmirched the character of that individual by your callous comment.  Have you ever worked under a tyrant such as those I have already named? Have you ever feared loss of employment because you spoke out? Have you ever been yelled at in meetings and given reprimands because you tried to do what you thought was best for every student only to be told it was not the "policy?" Many former employees in EPISD left because of the constant pressure to improve scores at the expense of those most fragile. Are we all "disgruntled" if we speak out? Read more

El Paso Times guest column asks some hard questions

Taxpayer Funded Debt Collectors

From bloomberg.com -Joshua Mandelman made $454,000 in a single year as a student-loan debt collector -- more than twice the pay of the U.S. secretary of education.  His boss, Richard Boyle, chief executive officer ofEducational Credit Management Corp., received $1.1 million in 2010, including commuting expenses from his ranch in New Mexico. Five other managers each took home more than $400,000.   ECMC, a Minnesota nonprofit group, owes its success to an 18-year-old agreement with the U.S. government. The company charges fees to borrowers and earns commissions from taxpayers-- totaling as much as 31 percent -- when it collects on defaulted student loans. Those rich rewards, which are approved by Congress, are sparking criticism that ECMC and similar collection agencies are reaping a bonanza from former students’pain. The loan program “is enriching collection agencies and undermining a goal we all want for society -- to encourage people to go to college,” Robert Shireman, a former deputy undersecretary of education under President Barack Obama, said in a telephone interview.  More News New Mexico

Taxpayer Funded Debt Collectors

NM Land Office and UNM Sign Research Agreement

 From newschannel10.com -The New Mexico Land Office and the University of New Mexico have signed an agreement that clears the way for sharing information about plant and animal species on state trust lands. The memorandum of understand was signed during a ceremony Monday on the university's campus in Albuquerque. Land Commissioner Ray Powell says the agreement will lead to a better understanding of state trust lands as well as better management practices. For UNM faculty, staff and students, the agreement provides for what officials call a "unique opportunity" to make advances in biology and ecology. Officials say researchers will be able to look at how New Mexico's flora and fauna are responding to changing conditions and how those responses could impact everything from food security and sustainability to invasive species.

NM Land Office and UNM Sign Research Agreement

NM Teachers Discuss High School Dropout Crisis on PBS

From kob.com -from across New Mexico came together to talk about the state's high school drop out crisis.  Right now the state has a graduation rate of about 67 percent. Wednesday night was a chance for teachers to sound off and think of solutions. New Mexico PBS hosted the "Teacher Town Hall." The goal was to address what is wrong and how it can be fixed. More than 150 teachers from across the state joined in. There was a lot of emphasis on making classrooms smaller so teachers can spend more time working with each student.  Some also brought up getting parents more involved.  The full discussion can be seen on PBS (Channel 5) on April 27 at 7p.m. 

NM Teachers Discuss High School Dropout Crisis on PBS

Governor Martinez Announces the "New Mexico Reads to Lead" Education Initiative

Susana Martinez

Alongside 3^rd grade students at Mission Avenue Elementary in Albuquerque today, Governor Susana Martinez unveiled and kicked off the “New Mexico Reads to Lead’ education initiative, which will implement several early childhood reading interventions designed to assist teachers and parents in identifying where our students are struggling in their literacy learning so that they can receive immediate and effective help.    

The “New Mexico Reads to Lead” initiative is the result of an $8.5 million direct investment in early childhood reading reforms in the FY13 budget.  Focusing on roughly 100,000 students from kindergarten through the 3^rd grade, the initiative will provide teachers with assessment tools that produce immediate information about where their students need assistance.  It will also provide parents and teachers with resources and strategies on reading instruction – available in hard copy and on the Internet in both English and Spanish.  And, as part of the program, up to 52 reading coaches will be hired throughout the state to support teachers in their efforts to help those students who are struggling to read the most. 

“Learning to read is the key to success, and it can often determine whether a student grows up frustrated and discouraged or empowered and confident,” said Governor Martinez.  “80% of our 4^th graders do not currently read proficiently, and the ‘New Mexico Reads to Lead’ initiative is a direct investment in challenging this unacceptable status quo with proven reading reforms aimed at helping those kids who need it the most.” 

Governor Martinez Announces the "New Mexico Reads to Lead" Education Initiative

New Educational Evaluation System on the Way

SANTA FE – Today, Governor Susana Martinez directed the Public Education Department to move forward with the formulation and implementation of a new teacher and principal evaluation system in New Mexico. The new evaluation system will ensure that student learning and academic growth are key factors in how teachers and principals are evaluated.
“It’s incredibly important that we’re able to identify those teachers and principals who are contributing most to the academic success of their students, so that we can reward them for the impact they are having on our kids. And it’s equally important for us to be able to provide support and professional development to those teachers who are struggling,” said Governor Martinez. “If we believe that our students go to school in order to learn, then a good evaluation system should incorporate student achievement in its analysis of our teachers and principals. And if we believe that some of our best teachers are those who take students from two grades behind to one grade ahead, then we must honor and recognize student growth as part of the process. None of this is happening now, and that’s why this education reform is so necessary.”

As part of granting New Mexico a waiver from the federal No Child Left Behind Act, the U.S. Department of Education required the state to develop the framework for a new evaluation system before the start of the 2012-2013 school year.
Maintaining the waiver is critical because it allows New Mexico to use an A-F grading system to give parents and community leaders a more accurate and helpful picture of whether schools are achieving or lagging, allowing for the targeting of interventions in schools that are struggling the most. As a result of the waiver, the often confusing constraints of Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) measurements no longer apply in New Mexico. Under the old system, nearly 87% of New Mexico schools were simply labeled as failing – with little to no indication of growth or progress among schools, or the ability to point to where the highest level of intervention was needed.

“As one of only 11 states to receive this waiver, New Mexico is finally a leader in education reform,” continued Governor Martinez. “And the implementation of a true teacher-principal evaluation system is a bipartisan effort that has received wide support not only in New Mexico, but also from the Obama Administration, which has signaled that this is one of the most important education reforms we can enact for our children.”
Currently, New Mexico teachers are evaluated under a system that simply labels them as either ‘meets competency’ or ‘does not meet competency,’ and does little to account for student growth and achievement in the classroom. Recent studies reveal over 90% of the state’s teachers are deemed to be meeting competency while New Mexico’s student achievement continues to lag near the bottom of national rankings. In September 2011, President Obama’s Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, described New Mexico’s evaluation system as “broken.”
“Recognizing teachers and principals based on how well students learn is the right thing to do for New Mexico,” said PED Secretary-designate Hanna Skandera. “Today in our state, our teachers are judged on a pass-fail system that doesn’t focus on students. We know student achievement is important and we need to reward those who excel at it.”

During the past legislative session, a bill to establish a new teacher and principal evaluation system (HB 249) garnered wide bipartisan support, passing the House of Representatives by a vote of 57-9, with representatives from labor and business organizations in favor of it. The state’s new evaluation system will incorporate many of the measures that were a part of this legislative proposal, and will build upon the work of the Governor’s Effective Teacher Task Force, which was comprised of a wide group of stakeholders with over 100 years of teaching experience and held over 10 public meetings during a three-month period in 2011.

New Educational Evaluation System on the Way

Alb. Board to Vote on Employee Pay While Serving in Roundhouse

Sheryl Williams Stapleton

From capitolreportnewmexico.com -The question of public school employees who serve in the state legislature receiving paid leave is back — and this time, the state’s largest school district is considering ending the practice. In Wednesday’s edition of the Albuquerque Journal, education reporter Hailey Heinz writes that a majority of the school board of Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) have scheduled a vote for May 1 and that a majority of the board “made clear” they want to change the district’s policy:  Board member Martin Esquivel said the public wants APS to change its practice. “I just want to make it clear that I am not in favor of compensating for political leave with APS money,” Esquivel said. “I think people have spoken pretty loud and clear about this, and they are aghast at the idea that we pay people to serve in the Legislature.  Currently three APS employees serve in the Roundhouse and are eligible to take paid leave when they go to Santa Fe during legislative sessions, committee meeting hearings between sessions and attend to other legislative duties. They also receive $153 per diem for each day they work at the Roundhouse. The three are: Rep. Sheryl Williams Stapleton (D-Albuquerque) who is an APS administrator, Sen. Bernadette Sanchez (D-Albuquerque) who is an APS counselor and Rep. Tim Lewis (R-Rio Rancho) who is a teacher.   More here

Alb. Board to Vote on Employee Pay While Serving in Roundhouse

State in midst of curriculum transition

New Mexico Education Department

Santa Fe New Mexican - In an effort to ensure that Johnny can not only read by the third grade, but be ready later on for college, New Mexico is implementing the Common Core Standards in kindergarten through grade three in school year 2012-13. The standards, which focus on English-language arts and math, will be implemented in grades four to 12 in 2013-14. Developed by the public-policy driven National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and the Council of Chief State School Officers, the 36 standards are designed to encourage critical thinking among students via a set of vertically aligned lessons -- that is, lessons that build on one another year after year. Some 46 states, as well as the District of Columbia, have adopted Common Core to ensure consistency in education across the nation. Want an example? One English-language arts requisite for understanding and explaining themes in text, for instance, looks like this: In the sixth grade, students analyze in detail how a key individual, event or idea is introduced and illustrated throughout the text. In the seventh grade, they look at the interactions between individuals, events and ideas within a text. In the eighth grade, they analyze how the text makes a connection or distinction between individuals, ideas or events. "Right now, our state standards are a mile wide and an inch deep, and the Common Core Standards are an inch wide and a mile deep," said Denise Johnston, associate superintendent for Santa Fe Public Schools, who is working on a transition to the new curriculum to support the new standards. Read More News New Mexico

State in midst of curriculum transition

NM Graduation Rate May Drop Again

From kob.com -An already low graduation rate for New Mexico may be dropping even lower.  Under a federal mandate, the state is changing how graduation rates will be calculated. Albuquerque Public Schools Superintendent Winston Brooks said graduation rates could be significantly lower than before, possibly up to 20 percent but emphasizes that this does not mean more students are dropping out of school. It is simply a brand new formula for how graduation rates are calculated that may affect the numbers. Most recent data from the Department of Education shows for the class of 2010, about 65 percent of APS students graduated. This compares to about 67 percent at high schools statewide.
But this rate did not include certain groups of students. Under the new federal mandate, officials said there will be no more excusal for those groups which include pregnant, incarcerated or special needs students who were previously allowed additional time to graduate.  More here

NM Graduation Rate May Drop Again

NM Retired Teacher Arrested on Fed. Child Porn Charges

From politicalnews.me -A 72-year-old retired teacher residing in Raton, N.M., was arrested on Wednesday on a criminal complaint alleging that he distributed, received and possessed child pornography between Oct. 14, 2011 and April 4. Joseph F. Zinkiewicz made his initial appearance Thursday in federal court in Albuquerque; he is scheduled for a preliminary hearing April 6. Zinkiewicz is temporarily detained pending a detention hearing which also is scheduled for Friday. U.S. Attorney Kenneth J. Gonzales, District of New Mexico, said that Zinkiewicz was arrested as the result of an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) that initially targeted a suspect in the District of Colorado.  According to the criminal complaint, an HSI special agent who was acting in an undercover capacity, communicated with the Colorado suspect and learned that the suspect was a member of a group that used e-mail accounts to distribute and receive child pornography. In November 2011, after the undercover special agent obtained a hard drive containing thousands of child pornography images and videos from the Colorado suspect, HSI obtained a search warrant for the e-mail account used by the Colorado suspect. HSI special agents identified the e-mail accounts of individuals, including Zinkiewicz, who allegedly shared child pornography with the Colorado suspect.  More here

NM Retired Teacher Arrested on Fed. Child Porn Charges

Report Shows NM Graduation Rates Have Declined

From koat.com -Arizona and New Mexico have both reduced the number of their dropout factories - those high schools with chronically low graduation rates. They have also increased the percentage of fourth- and eighth-grade students who can read proficiently. And more students in both states are taking advanced placement tests than several years ago. However, a report released by a group of education organizations shows Arizona, New Mexico and other western states are lagging behind when it comes to making improvements in their graduation rates.  The report says Arizona's rate dropped from 74.7 percent in 2002 to 72.5 percent in 2009. New Mexico's rate went from 67.4 percent to 64.8 percent
More News New Mexico

Report Shows NM Graduation Rates Have Declined

NM Gets $4M for Lowest Performing Schools

From newswest9.com -New Mexico has been awarded more than $4 million in federal education funds to turn around its lowest-performing schools. The U.S. Department of Education and members of the state's congressional delegation announced the funding Thursday. The money is part of $535 million provided to states under the agency's School Improvement Grants program. To date, New Mexico has received nearly $37 million since the program was redesigned in 2009. U.S. Congressman Ben Ray Lujan says the future success of New Mexico's children depends on access to quality education. The New Mexico Democrat says the focus needs to be on those schools that struggle the most in order to develop an environment that encourages children to learn and succeed. School districts will have to apply to the state for funding.  More News New Mexico

NM Gets $4M for Lowest Performing Schools

State Charter School Ranking Increases

From heartland.org - Eliminating number limits, strengthening authorizers, and equalizing funding and facilities for charter schools caused several states to shift to the top of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools’ annual ranking in 2012. The NAPCS judges states by laws that support charter growth and hold them accountable without stifling them. On a scale of one to 200, the average state score was 107, a seven-point increase from 2011.  “Having school choice opportunities is a core to our reforms,” said Stephen Bowen, Maine’s education commissioner. “That means charter schools and more choices among public schools, too. The buildings and experiences have to be flexible to the needs of the kids, not the other way around. We’re going to let families, not street addresses, determine what the best learning environment is for students.”  Maine, Minnesota, Florida, New Mexico, and Massachusetts held the top five spots, while Iowa, Kansas, Alaska, Maryland, and Mississippi rounded out the bottom five.  More News New Mexico

State Charter School Ranking Increases

Donor Pulls $1M Donation For New Field

From krqe.com -One of the largest donors in the effort to renovate the University of New Mexico’s baseball field has pulled his money out of the project after being “dragged through the mud.”  Johnny Cope had hoped to sit in the newly renovated field, named after him, and enjoy a Lobo baseball game but Governor Martinez’s pressure to keep his name off the field has prompted Cope to withdraw his donations from the project.  More News New Mexico

Donor Pulls $1M Donation For New Field

N.M. Counties Receive $11M in School Payments

From alomogordonews.com -Nearly two dozen New Mexico counties will share more than $11 million in federal rural schools payments. The funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture will help pay for schools, roads, forest restoration projects and other programs in 22 counties.   U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman says the payments are designed to help rural counties that rely economically on national forest lands.  He says the payments have been particularly important during the national economic downturn.  Bingaman's office says the senator led the congressional effort to reauthorize the program in 2008. At that point, there was a change to the distribution of program funds that dramatically increased the benefits of the program to New Mexico counties. The highest payment of more than $3.4 million will go to Catron County in western New Mexico.

N.M. Counties Receive $11M in School Payments

N.M. Ranks 35th on National Education Report Card

From krqe.com - New Mexico’s education system ranks 35th in the nation, according to a new report by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). ALEC’s 17th Report Card on American Education: Ranking State K-12 Performance, Progress, and Reform is a comprehensive report that ranks all 50 states and the District of Columbia according to data from national test scores, state education policy, charter school regulation, and other benchmarks of quality. New Mexico improved from 48th in 2010 based on student performance and progress on National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) exams.  More News New Mexico

N.M. Ranks 35th on National Education Report Card

N.M. Earns $6.5M in Oil and Gas Lease Sales

From boston.com -The New Mexico State Land Office says it earned $6.5 million during its monthly oil and gas lease sale. The state says 29 tracts in San Juan and Lea counties were offered for lease and all were sold on Jan. 17 in Santa Fe. The highest bid of $1.06 million went to Ronald Miles of Roswell for 320 acres in Lea County. Each month the land office offers tracts for oil and gas development. The proceeds go to help fund public schools, hospitals and universities.

N.M. Earns $6.5M in Oil and Gas Lease Sales

APS superintendent speaks against governor's plan to reform education

From KOB-TV.com - Albuquerque Public Schools Superintendent Winston Brooks is speaking out against the governor's plan to reform education. In fact, Brooks said some of it is not reform. Governor Susana Martinez proposed holding elementary students back if they cannot read. She said she wants the state to buy every first grader a book. Brooks said it is a relief that there is finally some money coming in to education but thinks where that money goes should be decided by the individual school districts. "I think too much of what the governor is proposing is being dictated and the state level, I think it takes away local control," Brooks stated. Brooks said Governor Martinez and lawmakers should be turning to educators to figure our how and where to spend an extra $97 million for the classroom. "Those of us who work locally know better about what our communities need than probably the governor does," Brooks said. He agreed with the governor that reading is a priority but questions her approach. "Getting every first grader a book is a great symbolic gesture on the part of the governor - do I think that's meaningful school reform? Not at all," said Brooks. Instead, Brooks said he would put the focus on forming a solid pre-school system to kick start kids on reading. "Preschool programs developed for state wide could be extremely helpful, particularly for those families that we have who live in poverty here in this state," Brooks said. Read more

APS superintendent speaks against governor's plan to reform education

N.M. Lawmakers Introduce New Education Bill

From kob.com -Some New Mexico state legislators have proposed a bill that would make some big changes to early childhood education. The bill was introduced today by Democratic lawmakers Linda Lopez, Rick Miera, and several others involved with public education. They said bill will focus on early intervention for low-scoring students. Students would be tracked early on from Kindergarten through 8th grade. If they need help, their school or district can create a team to decide what that specific child needs.  It could be a tutor or special program that would basically tailor their education to help them get up to speed. The bill would also give the power to hold students back a grade to the parent.  More News New Mexico

N.M. Lawmakers Introduce New Education Bill

NMSU Las Cruces Receives $800,000 Federal Grant

From publicbroadcasting.net -New Mexico State University was recently awarded an $800,000 grant to help place students on career paths that translate the call of the wild into a profession involving natural resources. NMSU was among 20 Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs) awarded competitive grants by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to support education in areas like natural resource management and agricultural research and was one of only seven institutions to receive a national-scale competitive project. More News New Mexico

NMSU Las Cruces Receives $800,000 Federal Grant