THINK NEW MEXICO News: 

A new poll of New Mexico voters found broad, bipartisan support for education reforms including capping the size of elementary school classes at 20 students; enhancing the training and transparency of local school boards; and ensuring that the high school curricula include a diverse array of required courses.

The poll of 403 registered voters in New Mexico was commissioned by Think New Mexico and conducted Nov. 13-20, 2023 by BSP Research, overseen by UNM Professor Dr. Gabriel Sanchez, a nationally recognized expert in New Mexico politics and policy.

The poll found that more than a majority of New Mexico voters support education reforms:

• Capping elementary school class sizes at 20 students.
• 83% support of voters polled support capping the size of K-6 classes at 20 students; 51% strongly support this reform
• 96% consider class size important to student success; 3 out of 4 voters polled believe it is “very important”

Enhancing the training and transparency of elected local school boards:

• 88% support requiring school board members to receive enhanced training in topics like how to read school district budgets, how to effectively oversee a school district superintendent, and how school board members can positively impact student achievement
• 79% support requiring all school board candidates to disclose their campaign contributions
• 87% support requiring school boards to webcast their meetings

Ensuring that every high school student is exposed to a well-rounded curriculum, with a diverse array of required courses:

• 86% of voters polled support making civics a high school graduation requirement
• 85% support requiring a year of computer science or digital literacy
• 81% support requiring students to complete at least one year of career technical education or work-based learning
• 73% support requiring students to complete at least one year of a language other than English
• 71% support increasing the health education requirement from one semester to one year
• 69% support requiring at least one semester of visual arts, performing arts, or applied arts
• More than half (51%) oppose lowering the physical education requirement from a year to one semester (this reduction was proposed in the 2023 bill vetoed by the governor)
• 75% support allowing students to take Probability & Statistics or Data Analysis as an alternative to the current Algebra II requirement

A prior poll conducted in September 2022 found that 78% of New Mexico voters support adding financial literacy to the high school graduation requirements (only 9% were opposed).

“In this age in which many education issues have become politically divisive and polarizing, we were impressed that a broad majority of New Mexicans, across party lines, agree about the need for these student-centered reforms,” Executive Director Fred Nathan said.

The reforms polled are based on recommendations from Think New Mexico’s 2022 policy report, A Roadmap for Rethinking Public Education in New Mexico. The report included a ten-point plan with 30 separate legislative recommendations for improving the quality of New Mexico’s public schools. Every policy reform included in the report has been shown to move the needle for student outcomes, either in New Mexico or elsewhere.

One reform recommended in the report was reducing class size. Smaller classes, especially in the early years, allow teachers to spend more time with each student when they need intensive instruction in early reading, math, and other foundational skills. Smaller classes are also better working environments for teachers, which helps with teacher recruitment and retention.

Currently, New Mexico does not cap the size of classes in grades 1-6; current law simply specifies that the “average” of classes in grades 1-3 should not exceed 22, and the “average” of classes in grades 4-6 should not exceed 24. In practice, statewide, 27% of elementary school classes were larger than these averages.

“As a former elementary teacher, my students made more progress in smaller classes where I could give them more personalized attention and build stronger relationships with them and their families,” said Mandi Torrez, Think New Mexico’s Education Reform Director and 2020 New Mexico Teacher of the Year. “As a parent of students in public school, this is a reform that I want for my own children.”

Another reform recommended by Think New Mexico is to enhance the training and transparency of school boards, based on research showing that school boards can positively impact the learning environment when school boards are focused on elevating student achievement. Under current New Mexico law, school board members are only required to receive a brief annual training, focused primarily on the basic legal aspects of the board role, not best practices for governance, school district finance, or the board’s role in improving student performance.

In addition, New Mexico currently requires only school board candidates running in districts larger than 12,000 students to disclose their campaign contributors. This is just four of the state’s 89 districts. Nationwide, 44 states require all candidates for the school board to disclose their donors, regardless of the district size.

“The public has a right to know who is funding candidates for the school board,” Fred Nathan said.

Regarding high school graduation requirements, Think New Mexico’s 2022 report cited research showing that students need coursework relevant to their lives – such as financial literacy, civics, career technical education, and health – in order to stay engaged and motivated to graduate. In addition, specific course requirements can improve student outcomes. For example, the U.S. Department of Education found that New Mexico high school students who take at least two career and technical education courses in a program area, such as film or health care, graduated at rates above 90%.

“New Mexico students deserve a school experience that exposes them to a wide variety of subjects so that they leave high school with a core set of skills for college and career as well as an understanding of their abilities and passions,” Mandi Torrez said.

Think New Mexico will be advocating for the enactment of these reforms during the 2024 legislative session, as well as legislation to revamp the state’s colleges of education.

For more information, visit Think New Mexico’s website.