N.M. to expand teacher training to battle abuse
Additional $10 million will bring learning system to 11 school districts that never had it before
State prosecutors and law enforcement officials are working together to expand training to combat child abuse and human trafficking for schoolteachers and administrators when kids head back to school in the fall.
The initiative, announced during a news conference Friday in Albuquerque and hosted by the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office, was prompted by a recent case in which an Albuquerque man was accused of prostituting his 7-year-old daughter.
The father, James Stewart, 37, is facing charges that include human trafficking, criminal sexual contact of a minor, child abuse, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and promoting prostitution.
The girl’s mother, Teri Lee Sanchez, also is facing child abuse charges. She was expected to appear in court Friday for a detention hearing, but it was pushed to a later date. Sanchez’s attorney is arguing that a request by the Attorney General’s Office to keep her detained without bail as she awaits trial is unfair.
Attorney General Hector Balderas said the tip that led to the arrests of the girl’s parents came from a school counselor who had been trained by his office to spot signs of trafficking and crimes against children.
“This case really drove home … that everyone can have an important role in saving lives,” Balderas said at the news conference.
That report, however, was one of about two dozen since 2012 regarding concerns of possible abuse or neglect of children in the family, according to court documents. Records show both the Albuquerque Police Department and state child welfare workers had spoken with the family, but the girl and her two older brothers were not removed from the home until their parents’ arrests. The children are now in state custody. On Monday, officials with the state Children, Youth and
ALBUQUERQUE — New Mexico will pump in an additional $10 million into the state pre-K program for the next school year, bringing the program to 11 school districts for the first time.
The state Public Education Department announced the additional funding Thursday, opening up more than 1,500 additional pre-K spots to potentially serve about 6,800 students statewide.
With the funding boost, the pre-K program is getting $33.6 million for the next school year. The pre-K program will be present in 65 school districts and six state charters, according to the department.
The pre-K system consists of half- and full-day programs for 4-year-olds. Some programs are part of an elementary school and others are housed in separate facilities.
Carlsbad Municipal Schools is among the 11 new districts launching the pre-K program. Carlsbad Superintendent Greg Rodriguez said the new investment into pre-K will give children a head start that aims to eventually increase graduation rates, the Albuquerque Journal reported.
The Carlsbad school district will hire four new teachers and four education assistants for the program, which is expected to serve 350 students next year, Rodriguez said.
Clovis Municipal Schools is also launching a pre-K for the first time and will receive $950,000 from the state. Clovis Superintendent Jody Balch told the Eastern New Mexico News that the district aims to employ multiple pre-K sites, but the schools that will be utilized have not been determined.
State Education Secretarydesignate Christopher Ruszkowski said expanding pre-K gives students more time in the classroom with teachers. He noted that the program in Clovis will provide more than 100 hours of additional instruction time for 300 students.
“We need to do two things for our kids’ big picture: We need to increase the amount of instruction time and improve the quality of instruction,” Ruszkowski said.