Education
Today’s classrooms bear little resemblance to those
of fifteen or twenty years ago. Instead
of a robust and comprehensive curriculum, students endure a battery of tests
that only teach them to be better test takers and do not prepare them to succeed in a competitive economy.
The Bush Administration began this trend by creating No Child Left Behind and refusing to
adequately fund the program. We must reform the way we teach our students because America needs a high skilled, well-educated
workforce to succeed in the 21st century, and this begins in our
classrooms.
It's time to make education a priority in New Mexico. Only 18 percent of our eighth-graders scored above proficient in writing and our fourth-graders ranked second to last in the nation in math. New Mexico can become a leader in a high-wage economy, but we must start by doing a much better job at educating our young people. By making sure that every child gets a good education from Pre-K through college, we can put New Mexico on track to compete globally.
We need to allow our schools to make their own decisions for their students. Local schools know what is best for their students, but we have to give them the resources to help their students. We must scrap No Child Left Behind and empower teachers to challenge our children and teach them to be critical thinkers, not simply good test-takers. By moving away from underfunded national mandates and moving toward more local control with adequate funding, we can make sure that every child matters.
The American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association have endorsed my candidacy because they know I will put the needs of students at the center of every decision I make.
Pre-K for All
Children should have access to Pre-K to give them a head start for success in the classroom. Pre-K helps to give children both the learning skills and social skills to build upon through all their years of schooling.
Helping our Young People Succeed in a Global Economy
We need a K-12 public education system that builds on a foundation in literacy, mathematics, science and history, encouraging students to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and the ability to communicate effectively. In order to compete in the global economy, we need to educate more engineers, scientists, and mathematicians.
I want to see more New Mexicans complete high school. New Mexico has an unacceptably high dropout rate that we can lower with solutions that involve the school and community in the life of each student. By fostering closer coordination with schools, families, and communities, we can make sure no children are left behind.
College and beyond
A college education is becoming unaffordable and unattainable for too many students. We have to make student loans accessible and easier to repay. We have to increase funding for Pell grants and reduce interest rates on student loans. Programs that reimburse students for college expenses based on community service projects and a commitment to public service would encourage students to pursue careers that help their communities. New Mexico has many great community colleges, as well as state and private universities. Anyone who wants to learn, young or old, should have access to all of the opportunities in higher education that New Mexico has to offer.
Rewarding our Teachers
We need good teachers if we want to provide our young people with a good education. We must attract and retain the best teachers by instituting a national minimum wage for teachers.
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