Letter to the Editor: HB 41 Will Hurt Kids And Educators

By CARRIE APGAR
Los Alamos

It’s time to do your research and be heard.

Below is an email that I sent to Rep. Stephanie Garcia Richard. If you agree with my stand on this very important issue, now is the time to contact our New Mexico Legislators and let them know how you feel.

Hello Rep. Garcia Richard,

I, as a tax-payer and mother of three children, two of whom are out of the public school system (thank God), must voice my opinion regarding the upcoming proposal of HB41.

Have you read this ridiculous proposal? If not, here is the Bill in it’s entirety.

Hanna Skandera is an embarrassment to the education system and if this is what our state believes is good for our children, then we are in for a world of hurt. What data is being evaluated to determine that a child’s success should be solely rated on a reading test that is administered in 3rd grade? Other states are backing down from this cliff.

See links from Arkansas and New Jersey. And see the piece that ran Jan. 29, 2015 in the Journal from Ken Whiton.

I acknowledge that some form of evaluation must be used, and has always been used. The problem is the high-stakes tied to these tests/evaluations. To use these un-proven tests to make such huge, across-the-board changes, is just absolutely careless, to say the least. There must be a graded approach with a human touch to this issue, and there are many, passionate, smart, experienced educators that want to be held accountable and have such innovative ideas, but they are not being heard, because our politicians have already decided “what is best for our children”.  
 
This is actually very insulting to myself, my children and any other parent who may not have the time it takes to write this kind of letter. I resent other politicians, such as Nora Espinoza, stating that 74 percent of some group of people (that took the Journal survey (could have been 10 people)) thought that social promotion was a bad idea. And your peers want to call that data? 
Ms. Richard, you are an educator … please, please help bring some sense to your peers and help them to understand that what HB 41 is proposing will only hurt our children and our educators.
 
Thank you.
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