Teacher’s union members and their supporters gathered in the Santa Fe Rail Yards as Hanna Skandera, chief of the Public Education Department, underwent confirmation hearings yesterday. Charles Bowyer, executive director of the National Education Association of New Mexico, said policy changes at the state level “are causing havoc in our classrooms. I just spoke with an advanced placement science teacher who was just informed that she has three weeks left of instruction for this year. The rest is going to be dedicated to testing.”Elizabeth Austin, an instructor at the Central New Mexico Community College, said she traveled to attend today’s rally to show solidarity with her fellow union members. She said she objects to the amount of time required to implement the new statewide PARCC Assessment, which is tied to the implementation of nationwide Common Core standards, as well as new End of Course Exams required for high school graduates. It’s only February, said Austin, but “the education season in New Mexico has ended and the testing season has begun.”Monica Chlastawe (center) teaches in Albuquerque’s South Valley at a school with a high percentage of students living in poverty. She said she’s most concerned about New Mexico’s new teacher evaluation system, which is half-weighted toward student test scores. “The way they do the evaluation is based on an algorithm that statisticians say should not be done. Sandia National Lab engineers can’t figure it out. They can’t even explain it to us. And then they’ve gotten a lot of the evaluations calculated incorrectly. It’s just crazy.” Teachers are also docked on their evaluation if they use their allotted sick days, said Chlastawe.
Ginger Koning, one of Chlastawe’s co-workers, said the Public Education Department’s policy measures under Skandera have drained the joy out of her job. “When you’re looking at this high-stakes testing, it is unbelievably overwhelming, discouraging and disheartening for our students. You see it in their faces, and you hear it every day in their voices.”
Ben, a middle school teacher who asked that his other identifying information be withheld, has been on the job for three years. He said a strong emphasis on standardized testing was not what he signed up for. “I wanted to get into my subjects. I wanted to dig into history and get into the science of the world. And the kids love it too. They’ll geek out about Stone Age cultures and the Periodic Table if you can engage them. It’s beautiful. But test culture does not engage students. They do not get excited about PARCC Practice Day.”
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.
Hello fellow political junkies! Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham called a special session on July 18 to tackle public safety issues ranging from criminal competency…
The House voted overwhelmingly to pass HB 1, the appropriations bill that provides funding for the special session, fire relief and behavioral health court…
The New Mexico Public Regulation Commission approved a stipulated agreement which is expected to result in a rate increase for customers. The stipulated agreement…
Heat-related deaths and illnesses are increasing in New Mexico, as the state has experienced greater increases in temperature than many other parts of the…
About 200 people from tribal governors to legislators to advocates and teachers gathered at Bishop’s Lodge to discuss Early Childhood Education’s future in New…
U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury secured $8.3 million for childhood development and youth services in the 1st congressional district through federal community project funding. Stansbury,…
U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf answered questions about the safety of human milk formula and mifepristone on Wednesday. Sen. Martin…
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…
Vice President Kamala Harris, who announced on Sunday her intention to replace President Joe Biden as the presidential Democratic nominee, received immediate support from…
Two years after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the high court overturned another long-standing precedent on Friday that could undue both…
Vice President Kamala Harris, who announced on Sunday her intention to replace President Joe Biden as the presidential Democratic nominee, received immediate support from…
Vice President Kamala Harris, who announced on Sunday her intention to replace President Joe Biden as the presidential Democratic nominee, received immediate support from…
