Santa Fe Public Schools Superintendent 'Begs' State Not to Appeal Education Ruling
The state's education system is unconstitutional and has violated the civil rights of students who are most "at-risk" of failing out of schools, including low-income, English language learners and Native American students.
That's the ruling of state District Judge Sarah Singleton, handed down last Friday from her retirement as a pro tem. Insiders say it's a monumental decision that will transform New Mexico's education system, and the state only has until next April to come up with an overarching plan.
This will include school financing and management reforms that grant higher sums to struggling schools, as well as a new school and teacher accountability system. The court will oversee the reforms, regardless of whether the state—under current Gov. Susana Martinez or, far less likely, the new incoming governor—files an appeal.
The ruling says that 71.6 percent of New Mexico's students come from low-income families, and Santa Fe Public Schools Superintendent Veronica Garcia says the district's rate is about the same at 70 percent. Although Singleton's timeline holds a tight deadline, Garcia sees the reforms taking much longer to implement.
Read more: https://www.sfreporter.com/news/2018/07/26/sfps-superintendent-begs-state-not-to-appeal-education-ruling/