Education plan draws criticism from state legislators

Lawmakers want revisions to proposal to comply with Every Student Succeeds Act

Democratic state lawmakers raised concerns Thursday about New Mexico’s plan to implement a new federal education law, questioning some of the ambitious goals outlined in the document and the lack of details on how the state will pay for initiatives to reach those targets, and expressing alarm over a possible voucher-like program.

The state Public Education Department’s proposal to comply with the federal Every Student Succeeds Act has high stakes for a public school system in a state that consistently ranks near the bottom in education measures. If the U.S. Department of Education approves the plan, it will serve as a blueprint for public education across New Mexico for at least the next five years, even after a new governor takes office in January 2019.

The Legislative Education Study Committee’s critical review this week comes as the U.S. Department of Education, citing missing or incomplete data, is asking the state agency to make dozens of revisions and resubmit the 160-page plan within two weeks.

Lawmakers also said they wanted to see changes.

“We would like to take a red pen to this plan,” said state Sen. Mimi Stewart, D-Albuquerque, the committee’s chairwoman.

The plan has drawn criticism from school district leaders, educators and teachers unions because it incorporates many of the education policies they have opposed for years, continuing a heavy focus on standardized tests in teacher and school evaluations.

But the plan also increases expectations for student achievement and graduation rates without offering proposals on how it would fund reform initiatives to ensure students and schools can meet those goals. Several lawmakers on the committee Thursday decried the lack of a detailed funding plan, particularly in light of the state’s ongoing budget problems.

Sen. William Soules, D-Las Cruces, cited the Public Education Department’s decision earlier this year to cut funding for a popular summer program for low-income children in kindergarten to grade three that is credited with improving student achievement. The committee heard from school leaders earlier this week about how the program cuts are affecting their poorest students.

“It’s great to have a plan,” Soules said. “If there’s no money to support the plan, it’s nothing.”

Lawmakers also raised concerns about proposals to move effective teachers into struggling schools, to dramatically raise achievement scores for English language learners and move them more quickly out of dual language programs, and to boost the graduation grade from 71 percent, where it stood in 2016, to 85 percent in 2022.

Ashley Eden, with Public Education Department, said the state can gradually raise its graduation rate to hit the five-year goal. “We can do it,” she said. “We can hit 73 percent” this year.

Rep. Dennis Roch, R-Logan, said he doesn’t doubt that claim. “It’s like the motivational poster in the classroom — ‘Shoot for the moon, and if you don’t make it, at least you’ll end up in the stars,’ ” he said. “I don’t think I’ll be disappointed if we don’t make 85 percent, but I will say, ‘There’s more work to do.’ ”

Perhaps most shocking to some Democrats on the committee was a reference in the plan to a possible new voucher program — in which students are given public funding to help cover tuition at private schools. The initiative, which already exists in several states, is being pushed by Republican President Donald Trump and U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.

Stewart said the Public Education Department would need legislative approval to offer such vouchers.

Matt Pahl, the department’s policy director, said the agency does not plan to institute a voucher program, but could begin to offer what he called scholarship opportunities for struggling students. He didn’t offer additional information about the proposal.

The U.S. Department of Education, in its letter to the state agency requesting revisions, asked for a more detailed plan, citing a lack of data in many instances and a lack of specific strategies for how it would improve proficiency among English language learners, homeless students, special-education students and those struggling with literacy.

State education officials said they were confused about some of the changes to the plan sought by the federal agency. For instance, the letter said any students who graduate with “non-traditional diplomas” will no longer be counted as graduates; neither Eden nor Pahl understood what that meant.

In at least one case, the federal agency rebuffed a state idea. The Public Education Department wanted to include science scores in its A-F school grading system, but the federal department said it can only use math and reading test results for that purpose.

Contact Robert Nott at 505-986-3021 or rnott@sfnewmexican.com.