Other Voices: Longer School Calendar Change Sets Off Fierce Debate Over State's Last In The Nation Public Schools

Sarah Smith, Melanie Rubin & Karen Larré

One of the fiercest debates in the new year is over what appears to be a seemingly simple plan from the Public Education Department:

A bill (approved by the Legislature) required schools with five-day weeks to have 180 days of instructional time and schools with four-day weeks needed 155 days. The (PED) change would make all schools in New Mexico have 180 days.

With New Mexico last in the nation in education performance, PED Secretary Arsenio Romero defends the proposal as essential for reversing the failing education culture, but pushback has been intense.

Today Other Voices looks beyond that debate and to the perspective of the Teachers Group of the New Mexico Freedoms Alliance a conservative nonprofit. They're against the school calendar change but come with a plan they say would get public education out of the cellar. Their letter was sent to Secretary Romero and edited here for brevity: The full letter is here: 

Secretary Romero: 

This list has been compiled as a result of input from teachers and school personnel all across the state,  Instead of doubling down on policies that have already been shown to fail in New Mexico, please listen to our voices, as the frontline workers who are responsible for educating New Mexico’s children.

REDUCE CLASS SIZES--Many of our class sizes are too large for us to be effective. When we are stretched so thinly, we cannot meet the needs of our students. New Mexico’s class size statutes allow no more than 20 students per class for kindergarten, 22 students for grades 1-3, 24 students for grades 4-6, and 27-30 for grades 7-12. However, these class size limits are not sufficient and many classrooms are not even meeting these standards. With large class sizes, we have less time to give individual attention to our students. We recommend the following class size limitations for the core academic classes: • K-3rd Grades – no more than 15-18 students • 4th-8th Grades – no more than 18-20 students • 9th-12th Grades – no more than 22-24 students. 

END SOCIAL PROMOTION--Students need high expectations, not handouts. We need to be able to hold back students who are not ready to move to the next grade. When we cannot do this, education for all students suffers. We have to spend so much time trying to help some students catch up that many other students are neglected. The students who are at the top of the class are largely left on their own instead of being challenged to reach their full potential. Meanwhile, the students who come into our classes already struggling, fall further and further behind because they just needed an extra year to catch up. Children are not machines that all function identically. It is normal and okay that some students need more time to develop.

HOLD PARENTS ACCOUNTABLE FOR STUDENT ATTENDANCE--Many students are not attending school regularly enough to have a chance at success. Prior to COVID, chronic absenteeism rates were ~15-18% yearly, but for the last few years the rate has dramatically increased. According to your own data, over 39% of students were chronically absent from school in the 2022-23 school year. Parents and students need to be held accountable for good attendance. No matter how many letters, phone calls, and offers of support are made, parents and students know the system and know they won’t ultimately face any consequences for poor attendance. Local school districts need to be empowered to create innovative solutions to the problem of chronic tardiness and absenteeism. The PED can help by forming a task force with representatives from school districts to develop a framework for testing different strategies to find effective solutions. 

BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS--Behavior issues are rampant in New Mexico’s schools. Besides acting out in class, some students are violent to the point of threatening and assaulting teachers, beating up other students, throwing chairs in classrooms, etc. Substance abuse issues are also widespread. Student behavior problems are also causing teacher burnout and are a huge reason why many teachers are leaving the profession. Teachers need to be respected and students who do not show that respect should receive swift, sure discipline. Instead, teachers’ hands are tied on imposing any real consequences for these behaviors. All teachers need to be trained and empowered in how to deal with behavior problems. Furthermore, there need to be consequences for students with behavior problems. Violent students need to be expelled in order to ensure safety for the other students and the teachers. 

MAKE IT EASIER FOR PARENTS TO BE INVOLVED--Engaged parents are one of the most valuable tools we as educators have in ensuring the success of our students. Besides providing support for their individual children, having parents volunteer in our classrooms helps us ensure there is enough attention and care for all the students in the class. However, parent participation at schools and in classrooms has decreased noticeably over the last few years. We need to be able to work in partnership with the parents. We understand there are security concerns; however, there needs to be a better balance that will allow more parents to be involved. The PED can help by encouraging local districts to find ways to make it easier for parents to be engaged.

ALLOW TEACHERS TO FOCUS ON THE ACADEMIC BASICS--Teachers are given so many areas to focus on that the core academic subjects can lose their high priority. We need to be able to focus on the core subjects of reading, writing, and math to ensure that our students are prepared for their futures. Instead of being locked into rigid curriculums and technology usage, we need to be given the leeway to teach in ways that will be most effective. For instance, many primary students learn better without using screens, yet they are required to perform monthly and triennial assessments on screens. Students with learning disabilities and ESL students are required to take the same tests as other students; this is unfair and we need to be able to use developmentally-appropriate and language-appropriate assessments instead. The PED can help us by clearing out nonessential subjects and allowing us to focus on teaching the core academic subjects.

We are on the front lines of education in New Mexico. There is much you can do to help us succeed. We urge you to implement the changes we are recommending for the good of New Mexico’s children. 

Sincerely, 

Sarah Smith, on behalf of the Teachers Group of the New Mexico Freedoms Alliance 

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