http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6XhfDugoKw&feature=youtu.be
Sen. Bill Soules, the Democratic senator representing New Mexico District 37 ran on the platform that he knows education.
“I’m an educator…I teach out at Onate, but it’s my passion and my profession.”
Soules came to the Sonoma Ranch Golf course to talk to the League of Women Voters of Greater Las Cruces about education.
“It’s about how in education in New Mexico…fallen way behind in funding in New Mexico…one of the reasons we’ve slipped…we aren’t keeping up with everybody else.”
“Some of the legislation…early childhood education, legislation that goes into funding…we’ve got to get it back to 50 percent of the total budget.”
As a high school teacher, Soules has experienced the recent controversial statewide testing reforms firsthand. He says they don’t allow teachers to work as trained professionals.
“It’s too fast. There are too much changes all at once…principals…teachers haven’t been trained on it…puts teachers at odds with each other…doesn’t allow them to teach…takes huge amounts of time and that takes away from instruction.”
The next legislative session starts January 2014.