By not answering media questions, PED leaves public in the dark

As reporters, we have a lot of questions about the state of education here in New Mexico. Most people have strong opinions, and sometimes fiery debates can obscure the deeper issue of why New Mexico’s students aren’t faring as well as they should. Last week we published stories about education in New Mexico leading up […]

By not answering media questions, PED leaves public in the dark

As reporters, we have a lot of questions about the state of education here in New Mexico. Most people have strong opinions, and sometimes fiery debates can obscure the deeper issue of why New Mexico’s students aren’t faring as well as they should.

Last week we published stories about education in New Mexico leading up to the start of the school year. We wanted to cut through the rhetoric and understand where schools and students are succeeding and where more work is needed.

Unfortunately, those stories about education were missing one significant voice—the state’s Public Education Department (PED).

With thousands of students and teachers headed back to school, PED didn’t want to answer even simple, straightforward questions about education in New Mexico. The administration didn’t want you, our thousands of readers across the entire state, to have a better grasp of the issues at hand.

On August 11, for example, we published a story about the education plan PED sent to the U.S. Department of Education. Buried in that plan are four possible outcomes for underperforming schools, including adding more state charter schools, encouraging a voucher program or even shutting down public schools. We wanted to know more about this, including how state officials would decide to carry out those plans, and how the plans could impact families and students, especially in rural school districts.

While we were reporting that story, a PED spokeswoman initially responded to requests for comment with an email that stated “Sorry for the delay. I forwarded this to the right folks and we’ll get you some answers.” We received that email on July 25. Then, PED went silent, despite our follow-up emails and calls. The day before our story ran, PED praised the federal approval of its plan in a press release, but did not address any of the questions we had asked.

Meanwhile, the department’s spokeswoman also dodged questions about STEM education, priorities and spending in the state. She still continues to ignore requests from NM Political Report to interview acting Secretary Christopher Ruszkowski, who took over the department in June after Hanna Skandera resigned.

Our story published on August 9, and we’ve continued to ask for an interview with Ruszkowski. We’d like to know, for example, whether he supports adoption of Next Generation Science Standards. New Mexico’s teachers are currently working with standards adopted in 2003, which themselves are based on 1996 national standards.

In these two instances, we asked PED for basic information and to talk with its experts—so we could better understand complex issues. Instead we are left with more questions than we started with. That means New Mexicans don’t have good answers either.

Maybe some of our readers have grown accustomed to reading sentences like, “We did not receive a response” or “If we receive information responsive to our requests within 24 hours of publication, we will update the story.”

In the two years NM Political Report has been around, we have repeatedly written about important policies or issues affecting the lives of New Mexicans without comment from Gov. Susana Martinez’s office or her executive agencies. That’s not because we’re not reaching out to officials. And it’s not a problem that’s unique to NM Political Report either.

Every time you read a disclaimer like that in any story, explaining that a state employee—and in particular, a generously paid taxpayer-funded public information officer or communications director—has not responded to inquiries from the press, you might ask: Why don’t state officials think the public should understand what’s happening?

This isn’t the first time we’ve had to shift a story’s focus from a particular topic to the agency itself.

Earlier this year NM Political Report sought basic information from the New Mexico Department of Health about lead poisoning and children. When officials ignored our questions, the focus of the stories changed from where New Mexico’s children are most at risk of lead poisoning to the department itself.

Now, we are faced with a similar situation.

When reporters contact state agencies, our goal is to gather information and disseminate it to the public. We’re constantly told that media questions must be routed through public information officers, who then ignore our requests for information or interviews.

The people we’d really like to speak with, the experts and longtime employees who actually work on the issues, have been placed off-limits. Those people aren’t allowed to talk to reporters, and it’s clear that mandate comes from the top of the department, or more likely, the Office of the Governor.

That’s another reason people should care about the administration’s code of silence: It undermines the important role state agencies like PED perform, and diminishes the work of good state employees.

Both stories we wrote last week about education are missing a key perspective. That voice could have refuted other sources to make a more well-rounded story, or it could have simply answered the question, “Do we have this right?”

To those public information officers and state employees who wonder how to get in touch with us or respond to our questions, we’ll just leave our contact information below.

Matthew Reichbach, Editor
[email protected]
(505) 226-3196

Andy Lyman, Reporter
[email protected]
(505) 226-3195

Laura Paskus, Environment Reporter
[email protected]
(505) 217-5136

Matthew Reichbach contributed to this story.

 

We're ad free

That means that we rely on support from readers like you. Help us keep reporting on the most important New Mexico Stories by donating today.

Related

Emily’s List endorses seven candidates for Legislature

Emily’s List endorses seven candidates for Legislature

Emily’s List, a nonprofit that supports women candidates and reproductive rights, endorsed seven incumbents facing general election opponents in New Mexico legislative elections. All…
Equality New Mexico endorses 15 legislative candidates

Equality New Mexico endorses 15 legislative candidates

A New Mexico-based LGBTQ rights organization endorsed 15 candidates for state House and Senate seats for the 2024 elections.  Marshall Martinez, executive director of…
Lujan Grisham pocket vetoes two bills

Lujan Grisham pocket vetoes two bills

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham pocket vetoed two bills the legislature passed this legislative session: one changing the Cybersecurity Act and the other concerning law…
BLM announces final methane waste rule

BLM announces final methane waste rule

The federal Bureau of Land Management announced its final methane waste rule on Wednesday. These new regulations clamp down on the practice of venting…
What consumers, farmers should know about the flu impacting dairy cows

What consumers, farmers should know about the flu impacting dairy cows

Migrating birds appear to have caused a virus in dairy cattle that is causing reduced milk production. So far, the disease, which initially started…
Republicans seek to limit national monument designations

Republicans seek to limit national monument designations

Republican-backed legislation in the U.S. Congress would make it harder for the government to designate new national monuments. The proposed Congressional Oversight of the…
Amid new graduation requirements, what do high schoolers want to learn?

Amid new graduation requirements, what do high schoolers want to learn?

By Margaret O’Hara, The Santa Fe New Mexican The main things that bring Brayan Chavez to school every day: Seeing, talking to and engaging with…
Special ed teachers hope lawmakers OK pay raises, admin changes

Special ed teachers hope lawmakers OK pay raises, admin changes

By Margaret O’Hara, The Santa Fe New Mexican Brittany Behenna Griffith has a laundry list of adjectives to describe the ideal special education teacher:…
Lawmakers must find consensus on competing education spending plans

Lawmakers must find consensus on competing education spending plans

By Margaret O’Hara, The Santa Fe New Mexican A challenging task awaits New Mexico lawmakers in the next 30 days: Reconciling three very different…
Health workers fear it’s profits before protection as CDC revisits airborne transmission

Health workers fear it’s profits before protection as CDC revisits airborne transmission

Amy Maxmen, KFF Health News Four years after hospitals in New York City overflowed with covid-19 patients, emergency physician Sonya Stokes remains shaken by…
Lujan Grisham, Biden admin announce $10 million in federal funds for tribes, pueblos

Lujan Grisham, Biden admin announce $10 million in federal funds for tribes, pueblos

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced Friday $10 million in funding from the federal American Rescue Plan Act was awarded to six tribal nations and…
Proposal to curb executive powers moves to House Judiciary

Proposal to curb executive powers moves to House Judiciary

The House Government, Elections and Indian Affairs Committee discussed a potential constitutional amendment that seeks to limit the governor’s executive powers. The committee approved…
U.S. Supreme Court hears case to restrict access to medication abortion

U.S. Supreme Court hears case to restrict access to medication abortion

The U.S. Supreme Court heard the case about the regulations around mifepristone, one of a two-step regime for abortion medication, on Tuesday. FDA v.…
At stake in mifepristone case: Abortion, FDA’s authority, and return to 1873 obscenity law

At stake in mifepristone case: Abortion, FDA’s authority, and return to 1873 obscenity law

Lawyers from the conservative Christian group that won the case to overturn Roe v. Wade are returning to the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday in pursuit…
Supreme Court to hear two abortion cases this spring

Supreme Court to hear two abortion cases this spring

Later this month, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on the case against the abortion medication mifepristone. It will hear a second…
New Mexico Medicaid to cover cost of over-the-counter oral contraception

New Mexico Medicaid to cover cost of over-the-counter oral contraception

New Mexico Medicaid announced on Wednesday that it will cover the cost of Opill, the first oral contraception approved for over-the-counter use. It is…
U.S. Supreme Court hears case to restrict access to medication abortion

U.S. Supreme Court hears case to restrict access to medication abortion

The U.S. Supreme Court heard the case about the regulations around mifepristone, one of a two-step regime for abortion medication, on Tuesday. FDA v.…
At stake in mifepristone case: Abortion, FDA’s authority, and return to 1873 obscenity law

At stake in mifepristone case: Abortion, FDA’s authority, and return to 1873 obscenity law

Lawyers from the conservative Christian group that won the case to overturn Roe v. Wade are returning to the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday in pursuit…
San Juan County, Navajo Nation settle redistricting case

San Juan County, Navajo Nation settle redistricting case

The Navajo Nation and San Juan County reached an agreement Monday about commission districts after the tribe alleged that its members were not adequately…
MIT ranks NM elections most well-run in the U.S.

MIT ranks NM elections most well-run in the U.S.

New Mexico’s 2022 election was ranked most well-run in the country by Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Election Data and Science Lab’s Elections Performance Index.…
Emily’s List endorses seven candidates for Legislature

Emily’s List endorses seven candidates for Legislature

Emily’s List, a nonprofit that supports women candidates and reproductive rights, endorsed seven incumbents facing general election opponents in New Mexico legislative elections. All…
BLM announces final methane waste rule

BLM announces final methane waste rule

The federal Bureau of Land Management announced its final methane waste rule on Wednesday. These new regulations clamp down on the practice of venting…
U.S. Supreme Court hears case to restrict access to medication abortion

U.S. Supreme Court hears case to restrict access to medication abortion

The U.S. Supreme Court heard the case about the regulations around mifepristone, one of a two-step regime for abortion medication, on Tuesday. FDA v.…
What consumers, farmers should know about the flu impacting dairy cows

What consumers, farmers should know about the flu impacting dairy cows

Migrating birds appear to have caused a virus in dairy cattle that is causing reduced milk production. So far, the disease, which initially started…

GET INVOLVED

© 2023 New Mexico Political Report