A hearing over unions' push to halt part of New Mexico's teacher evaluation system is set to conclude.
A Santa Fe judge is scheduled Tuesday to hear closing arguments over whether the state should stop its use of test scores in the evaluations.
American Federation of Teachers New Mexico and the Albuquerque Teachers Federation are seeking an injunction to halt the use of test scores while their lawsuit against the evaluation system goes through the court system.
The unions say the evaluation system is forcing veteran educators to retire or have their licenses jeopardized. They want the evaluation system tossed.
But Public Education Department spokesman Robert McEntyre says the suit is a "disappointing distraction" from the agency's mission of providing a quality education to children.
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