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AFT New Mexico Responds to Public Education Department’s Release of School Grades

Stephanie Ly-AFT NM President
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aft photo

Commentary: Albuquerque – American Federation of Teachers New Mexico President Stephanie Ly released the following statement:

 

“New Mexico Public Education Department annual school letter grades have been released for each of our public schools throughout the State, however, this action fails to capture the unique needs of the students we serve and the communities in which they live.

 

“In addition to releasing school grades, Interim Secretary Christopher Ruszkowski maintained his predecessor Hanna Skandera’s tired refrain that only districts who fully –and without question – embraced PED reforms showed growth within the PED’s self-created grading scale.

 

“We strongly oppose the NM PED’s continued desire to label public schools as ‘failing,’ a practice no longer required under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act, and are especially concerned with the PED’s overtures that long-term ‘failing’ schools could be subject to a state takeover.

 

“The reality is the New Mexico PED has implemented a scheme of winners and losers among districts wherein public school districts who resist so-called PED reforms are stripped of funding and then publicly scorned by PED leadership. New Mexicans only need to look to the recent PED ‘Reads to Lead’ funding grants where the Albuquerque Public Schools was inexplicably stripped of over 500K in early literacy funding, even though the PED considers APS a ‘bellwether’ of New Mexico’s public education system.

 

“The continued use of school grades willfully ignores important factors such as child poverty, over-testing, and limited access to early education opportunities. Leadership is more than just labeling a school, and it is impossible to shame our way to success.