Vaccines Among Last Hurdles To Open New Mexico Classrooms - By Cedar Attanasio Associated Press/Report For America
New Mexico s teacher s unions say a slow vaccine rollout and the expiration of federal COVID-19 sick leave are the remaining hurdles to getting students in schools.
On Tuesday, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced that some of the power to reopen schools will be given back to local districts nearly a year after they closed their doors.
That decision came with the blessing of union officials and a promise to the state s teachers, who are among the oldest and therefore most vulnerable teaching population in the country.
American Federation Of Teachers New Mexico And NEA New Mexico React To Cancellation Of Vaccines For Educators ladailypost.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from ladailypost.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Lawmaker Proposes Overhaul To Graduation Requirements
SFNM
A New Mexico lawmaker who works in education is proposing an overhaul to the state’s high school graduation criteria in a bill that would reduce the number of required classes and give students the option of skipping Algebra 2.
Rep. G. Andrés Romero, D-Albuquerque, has introduced House Bill 83, which also would allow students to choose a capstone class a long-term project exploring an interest, such as a profession or social issue in lieu of a core subject.
Under the bill, a high school student opting for the capstone would have to work with an educator to ensure the project meets certain state standards.
Educational leaders say the short-term future of New Mexicoâs public schools revolves around two words: hold harmless.
The terminology refers to school districtsâ push to keep funding levels based on an average of the past three yearsâ budgets, rather than enrollment figures from the 2020-21 school year â a time when public schools have seen thousands of students withdraw during the COVID-19 pandemic.
âWeâre looking for stability,â Dennis Roch, president of the New Mexico Superintendentsâ Association and a former state representative, told members of the Legislative Education Study Committee on Wednesday.
A drop in funding in the 2022 fiscal year will leave school districts âscrambling this spring to reduce staffing to get down under the new budget numbers,â Roch said, adding that when the pandemic subsides and students begin returning to schools, âWe will have to scramble to staff up to accommodate their needs.â