Santa Fe – A lawsuit over New Mexico's teacher evaluation system has been delayed again. It was scheduled for trial in October.
American Federation of Teachers President New Mexico President Stephanie Ly and Albuquerque Teachers Federation President Ellen Bernstein released the following statement:
Commentary: “Today’s order from the 1st District Court in Santa Fe means that instead of proceeding with our lawsuit in October, as previously scheduled, it will be again delayed due to the New Mexico Public Education Department’s inability to comply with the Court’s orders for discovery and their failure to disclose critical information and data to AFT NM/ATF lawyers.
“This summer, professional educators and leaders from the American Federation of Teachers New Mexico have spent dozens of hours providing sworn depositions and have turned over hundreds of pages of documents to PED lawyers, as directed by the Court. In return, the PED has chosen to make arbitrary rule changes to the evaluation system, failed to provide any depositions from PED staff, and changed leadership – notably Former Secretary Skandera – in an attempt to not only delay an open and final hearing on this lawsuit, but also in an attempt to salvage their irreparably flawed evaluation system, and preserve the failed legacy of Ms. Skandera.
“Let us be clear – we are disappointed New Mexico’s public educators will continue to have to wait for a final determination from the Court on the PED’s abusive evaluation system, but rest assured, the injunction against the harmful effects of the current evaluation system remains in place. We will continue to hold the PED accountable for the numerous educators they have forced out of our profession and the generation of students they have harmed through their irresponsible and cruel policies. Now is the time for New Mexico’s interim Secretary of Education to stop protecting the status quo, work to heal the harm of the previous administration, and start respecting our State’s students, public schools, and professional educators.”