For public education, fourth time’s the charm?

Arsenio Romero is the new man on the hot seat — the Los Lunas school superintendent has been selected to serve as secretary of the state Public Education Department. That’s a big job in the best of times. The Public Education Department supervises 89 school districts, implements education policy, oversees budgets, keeps an eye on dozens of charter schools and otherwise is expected to improve education for New Mexico’s kids.

On top of its many tasks, the department must implement the mandates of the Yazzie/Martinez lawsuit, the landmark case in which a state district judge found the state was failing to provide a sufficient education to at-risk groups, including low-income, Native, English-language learners and special-needs children.

The state must change that reality or potentially face a Public Education Department operated by court order, with time running out to fulfill the edicts of the 2018 decision.

Add to that a governor who has proclaimed education one of the top priorities of her administration — remember the “moonshot”? — but watched her words fall short of the goal.

With all that as backdrop, it’s no wonder Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has hired — and lost — so many education secretaries. Romero will be the fourth. His first task will be getting confirmed by the state Senate; he appears to have bipartisan support. Republican Senate Minority Leader Greg Baca, who grew up with Romero, said the governor’s choice is well-qualified, with a “wealth of experience in education.”

“He, if anybody, can do a good job there,” Baca said.

What does a good job constitute? First, Romero needs to solidify top leadership in the department — deputy secretaries are in place but as “interim.” There’s a lack of stability at the top, no surprise when you’ve had four secretaries (not including interim appointments) since 2019. Across the department, high vacancy rates — a common problem in state government — hinder efficiency.

Then the secretary must be an advocate for children as lawmakers debate education in the legislative session. Whether discussing how many credits should be required for graduation or whether the school year needs to be extended, a superintendent understands the realities at the district and school level.

That voice must be heard over the gaggle of “experts” who continually speak out on public education — and union officials who pontificate about the children but often advocate for their own special interests. A secretary’s real job is to carry out the governor’s policies but not to be the governor’s puppet — no easy feat in this or any administration.

This moment requires both innovation and independence in the job.

The pandemic upended so much in our nation, and nowhere was that truer than in our public schools. Children learned remotely using computers. Teachers redid lessons plans overnight to adapt their classroom style to a virtual world. Parents worked while supervising lessons.

The stress and strain of the past three years, both in staying home and returning to school, have been a heavy burden for educators and students. But now, it’s time to move forward.

There’s a bright side in our present reality. Through budget surpluses and federal dollars, the state has the money to invest in education like never before. Teachers — finally — are being compensated fairly with another raise in the budget.

Schools can hire counselors and support staff. The governor’s early childhood initiative means the kindergarten students of tomorrow will be better prepared on their first day of public school. After high school, students should be able to afford college — New Mexico is covering tuition costs, an initiative from the governor that builds on the lottery scholarship established in 1996.

New Mexico’s schools have long needed a champion, cheerleader, ringleader. Romero has been seen as a mover within local superintendent circles, someone destined for a bigger job than his stops in Deming and Los Lunas. Well, they get no bigger — or tougher — than this. But if he can make PED a relevant and vibrant place, one that houses good ideas and disseminates them with vigor, he may have been the secretary the governor has been looking for all along.