The New Mexico Education Turnaround Plan: Every Child Deserves the Opportunity to Succeed

Jahnelle Garcia, MSN APRN FNP-C 

Nurse Practitioner

Candidate for New Mexico HD 27

Our children do not get a second chance at childhood.

Every school year that passes without meaningful improvement is a year of opportunity that can never be returned.

New Mexico’s children are intelligent, capable, and filled with potential. Our teachers work hard, parents, guardians and families want the best for their children, and communities across our state care deeply about their schools.

But our education system is not producing the results our children deserve.

In 2024, only 19% of New Mexico eighth graders performed at or above the NAEP Proficient level in reading, while only 14% reached proficiency in mathematics. New Mexico’s average eighth-grade mathematics score was lower than every other state and participating jurisdiction measured.

At the same time, New Mexico continues to commit billions of dollars to public education. The Legislative Finance Committee reported that the state spent approximately $2.6 billion on initiatives intended to increase instructional time, yet the amount of scheduled instructional time increased very little.

This tells us something important:

The problem is not that New Mexico does not care about education. The problem is that our spending, policies, and leadership have not consistently produced measurable results for children.

We need a new direction centered on academic excellence, parental involvement, classroom safety, teacher support, local accountability, and preparation for life after graduation.

My Commitment

The goal of this plan is straightforward:

Every New Mexico child should leave school able to read, write, perform mathematics, think critically, and pursue a career, trade, college education, military service, or entrepreneurship.

Progress will be measured through transparent outcomes, not political promises, new programs, or dollars spent.

New Mexico Education 2036 Goals:

• 80% of third graders reading at or above grade level.

• Reduce the number of students reading below basic by 50%.

• Double eighth-grade math proficiency.

• Increase graduation rates above 90%.

• Reduce chronic absenteeism below 15%.

• Rank in the top 20 nationally for fourth-grade reading.

• Cut teacher vacancies in half.

• Publish annual education report cards for every district and school.

  
  

1. Make Reading the First Priority

A child who cannot read proficiently by the end of third grade is more likely to struggle in nearly every subject that follows. New Mexico must treat early literacy as an educational emergency.

Legislative Action

I will support legislation to:

• Require evidence-based reading instruction grounded in the science of reading in kindergarten through third grade.

• Require teacher-preparation programs to train future educators in phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and early intervention.

• Provide universal reading screening at the beginning, middle, and end of each school year in kindergarten through third grade.

• Notify parents/guardians promptly when a child is reading below grade level.

• Create an individualized reading-improvement plan for every struggling student.

• Fund high-dosage tutoring, small-group instruction, and summer reading programs for students who need additional support.

• Provide age-appropriate screening and intervention for dyslexia and other reading difficulties.

• Give parents/guardians regular, understandable reports showing their child’s reading level and progress.

  
  

Measurable Goal

New Mexico should establish a statewide goal of having at least 80% of students reading at grade level by the end of third grade within ten years, with publicly reported annual progress.

2. Restore Strong Mathematics Instruction

New Mexico students must be able to master foundational mathematics before advancing to higher-level courses.

In 2024, only 14% of New Mexico eighth graders performed at or above the NAEP Proficient level in mathematics, and 58% scored below the NAEP Basic level.

Legislative Action

I will support legislation to:

• Establish a statewide mathematics improvement initiative beginning in elementary school.

• Require regular mathematics screening to identify learning gaps early.

• Provide intensive tutoring for students who are one or more grade levels behind.

• Strengthen mathematics training and coaching for elementary teachers.

• Ensure curricula are aligned with clear grade-level expectations.

• Expand access to algebra by eighth grade for students who are academically prepared.

• Create mathematics recovery programs for middle- and high-school students who have fallen significantly behind.

• Require schools to provide parents with clear information about whether their children are performing at grade level.

  
  

Measurable Goal

The state should aim to double the percentage of eighth-grade students reaching mathematics proficiency within five years and publish annual district-level results.

3. Put Parents Back at the Center of Education

Parents are their children’s first and most important teachers. Schools should work in partnership with families, not make families feel excluded from important decisions.

Legislative Action

I will support a New Mexico Parents’ Bill of Rights affirming that parents have the right to:

• Review their child’s curriculum and instructional materials.

• Receive timely information about academic performance, attendance, discipline, and safety.

• Be notified when their child is falling behind.

• Participate in the development of academic intervention plans.

• Review school policies and student records, subject to legitimate privacy protections.

• Raise concerns without retaliation.

• Receive clear information regarding services provided to their child.

• Choose from available public education options that best meet their child’s needs.

  
  

Schools should be required to provide parents with an easy-to-understand annual report explaining whether their child is performing at grade level, how progress is being measured, and what support is available.

4. Support Teachers and Return Their Focus to Teaching

New Mexico cannot improve education without excellent teachers.

Teachers should be respected, supported, paid competitively, and given the tools to succeed. They should not be buried under unnecessary paperwork, constant program changes, or administrative duties that take time away from students.

Legislative Action

I will support legislation to:

• Protect competitive teacher compensation while connecting additional incentives to hard-to-staff subjects, rural communities, special education, and demonstrated classroom leadership.

• Reduce unnecessary reporting and duplicative administrative requirements.

• Expand paid teacher residencies, apprenticeships, and mentorship programs.

• Provide meaningful classroom-management and instructional training for new teachers.

• Strengthen protections against violence, threats, and chronic disruption in the classroom.

• Offer retention incentives for effective teachers who commit to working in high-need schools.

• Establish pathways for experienced professionals to enter teaching while maintaining appropriate standards.

• Require the Public Education Department to evaluate whether administrative mandates improve student achievement before expanding them statewide.

  
  

We should reward teachers who deliver strong results, mentor colleagues, serve difficult-to-fill positions, and remain committed to New Mexico’s children.

5. Direct More Education Funding Into Classrooms

New Mexico must know where education dollars are going and whether those expenditures are helping students learn.

The state’s education challenge will not be solved by simply creating more programs or increasing spending without accountability.

Legislative Action

I will support legislation requiring:

• A greater share of new education funding to reach classrooms, teachers, instructional materials, tutoring, special education, and direct student services.

• Clear public reporting of district and charter-school spending on administration versus classroom instruction.

• Independent performance audits of major state education programs.

• Automatic review of programs that fail to demonstrate measurable improvement after three years.

• Sunset provisions for new statewide initiatives unless the Legislature votes to continue them based on documented outcomes.

• Public disclosure of unused, unspent, or reverted education appropriations.

• A searchable online education-transparency portal showing spending and outcomes by district and school.

  
  

New Mexico should measure success by whether children are learning, not by how many programs were created or how much money was appropriated.

6. Hold Leadership Accountable for Results

Responsibility must exist at every level, including the Public Education Department, school districts, governing councils, superintendents, administrators, and elected officials.

Legislative Action

I will support legislation to:

• Establish a public statewide education scorecard.

• Set measurable annual goals for reading, mathematics, graduation, attendance, school safety, and career readiness.

• Require corrective action when schools repeatedly fail to improve.

• Provide successful schools greater flexibility to continue strategies that work.

• Require improvement plans for persistently underperforming schools.

• Establish independent audits of state education data to ensure accuracy and transparency.

• Require the secretary of public education to report to the Legislature annually on progress toward statewide goals.

• Connect continued funding for major reform initiatives to measurable benchmarks.

The public deserves to know what is working, what is failing, and who is responsible for correcting it.

7. Improve Attendance and Address Chronic Absenteeism

Children cannot learn when they are not in school.

Chronic absenteeism must be addressed early, compassionately, and consistently. Families may face transportation problems, illness, housing instability, bullying, mental-health challenges, or other barriers that require intervention.

Legislative Action

I will support legislation to:

• Require early notification to parents/guardians when attendance becomes a concern.

• Create school-based attendance intervention teams.

• Connect families with transportation, healthcare, behavioral-health, and social-service resources when appropriate.

• Require individualized attendance-improvement plans for chronically absent students.

• Establish clear accountability when repeated absences continue without a valid reason.

• Publish school- and district-level chronic absenteeism rates.

• Evaluate whether attendance interventions are returning students to the classroom.

  
  

The goal should be to solve the problem, support the family, and return the child to consistent learning.

8. Make Schools Safe Places to Learn and Work

No student can learn, and no teacher can teach, in an environment of fear, violence, bullying, or constant disruption.

Legislative Action

I will support legislation to:

• Require every school to maintain an updated safety and emergency-response plan.

• Strengthen coordination between schools, law enforcement, emergency services, and parents.

• Expand school-threat assessment and violence-prevention training.

• Provide timely intervention for severe bullying, threats, and repeated violent behavior.

• Protect students and teachers from classroom violence.

• Support appropriate school-resource officers or trained safety personnel based on local needs.

• Improve building security, communication systems, and emergency preparedness.

• Require transparent reporting of serious safety incidents while protecting student privacy.

• Expand access to qualified school counselors and behavioral-health services, particularly in rural areas.

  
  

Discipline should be fair and age-appropriate, but schools must also protect the right of every child to learn in a safe environment.

9. Strengthen Special Education

Families of children with disabilities should not have to fight constantly to obtain services their children are legally entitled to receive.

Legislative Action

I will support legislation to:

• Address shortages of special-education teachers, diagnosticians, therapists, and educational assistants.

• Provide targeted recruitment and retention incentives.

• Reduce delays in evaluations and services.

• Require clearer communication with parents/guardians regarding individualized education programs.

• Strengthen oversight of special-education funding.

• Expand regional service cooperatives for rural and small districts.

• Support students with dyslexia, autism, developmental disabilities, speech-language needs, and other learning challenges.

• Ensure that special-education complaints are reviewed promptly and impartially.

• Track whether students are receiving required services and making meaningful progress.

  
  

The system should focus on helping children succeed, not exhausting their parents through bureaucracy.

10. Expand Career and Technical Education

Not every student will choose a traditional four-year college, and success should not be defined by only one pathway.

Students should graduate with practical skills, credentials, work experience, and a realistic plan for their future.

Legislative Action

I will support legislation to:

• Expand career and technical education beginning in middle and high school.

• Develop partnerships among schools, community colleges, unions, apprenticeship programs, healthcare providers, laboratories, manufacturers, and local businesses.

• Increase access to programs in healthcare, construction, welding, electrical work, plumbing, cybersecurity, energy, agriculture, aviation, teaching, public safety, and advanced manufacturing.

• Allow students to earn industry-recognized credentials before graduation.

• Expand paid internships, apprenticeships, and work-based learning.

• Improve career counseling and expose students to multiple career pathways.

• Permit qualified career professionals to teach technical courses under appropriate alternative-licensure standards.

• Align programs with actual regional workforce needs.

  
  

A high-school diploma should mean a student is prepared for the next step, not simply that the student completed enough time in the system.

11. Protect Rural, Tribal, and Underserved Students

New Mexico is a large and diverse state. A policy designed for a large urban district may not meet the needs of a rural school, tribal community, frontier area, or small district.

Legislative Action

I will support legislation to:

• Expand reliable broadband and educational technology in underserved communities.

• Address teacher housing and transportation barriers in rural areas.

• Provide regional access to special education, advanced coursework, career training, and behavioral-health services.

• Support culturally and linguistically responsive education consistent with constitutional and legal obligations.

• Work in genuine partnership with tribal governments and local communities.

• Protect programs serving Native American students, English learners, economically disadvantaged students, and students with disabilities.

• Increase accountability for whether funds intended for at-risk students actually reach and benefit those students.

• Provide flexibility for rural districts while maintaining strong academic expectations.

Every child should have access to opportunity, whether that child lives in Albuquerque, a pueblo, a small town, or a remote rural community.

12. Expand Educational Opportunity and Local Innovation

Every child learns differently, and every family deserves access to high-quality educational opportunities. Strong public schools remain the foundation of our education system, but parents should also have meaningful choices to find the learning environment where their child can succeed.

Legislative Action

I will support legislation to:

• Strengthen traditional public schools while expanding high-quality school choice opportunities, including charter schools, magnet schools, career academies, early college programs, and other innovative public education options.

• Increase access to Career and Technical Education (CTE), dual-credit programs, apprenticeships, and workforce training.

• Make school enrollment, transfer options, and academic performance transparent and easy for parents to understand.

• Remove unnecessary barriers preventing students from accessing high-performing schools and specialized programs.

• Encourage districts and schools to develop innovative educational models tied to measurable student outcomes.

• Replicate successful educational programs rather than requiring every school to follow the same approach.

• Ensure every publicly funded school meets rigorous academic, financial, transparency, and student safety standards.

• Expand tutoring and supplemental education opportunities for students attending persistently underperforming schools.

• Explore responsible school choice initiatives, including Education Savings Accounts (ESAs), scholarship programs, and other options that empower parents while maintaining accountability for taxpayer dollars.

Choice must be accompanied by transparency, quality, and accountability.

13. Create a Five-Year Education Turnaround Framework

Education reform must survive beyond one election, one administration, or one budget cycle.

Legislative Action

I will introduce or support a New Mexico Education Turnaround and Accountability Act establishing a five-year statewide framework with annual benchmarks.

The framework should include:

• Third-grade reading performance.

• Fourth- and eighth-grade mathematics achievement.

• Student academic growth.

• Chronic absenteeism.

• High-school graduation.

• College remediation.

• Career and technical credentials.

• Teacher vacancies and retention.

• School safety.

• Special-education compliance and outcomes.

• Achievement gaps affecting economically disadvantaged, Native American, English-learning, rural, and disabled students.

Results should be reported annually by school and district in a format parents and taxpayers can understand.

The Legislature should hold public hearings each year to evaluate progress and make evidence-based changes.

First Legislative Priorities

During my first term, I will prioritize the following legislative package:

The Early Literacy and Reading Success Act

Establishes universal screening, evidence-based reading instruction, parent notification, teacher training, tutoring, dyslexia support, and public reporting.

The Education Transparency and Accountability Act

Creates a public education scorecard, school-level spending reports, independent program evaluations, measurable benchmarks, and sunset reviews.

The Parents’ Bill of Rights in Education

Protects parents’ access to academic, curriculum, safety, attendance, and student-service information.

The Safe Classrooms and Schools Act

Strengthens school safety planning, threat assessment, reporting, behavioral intervention, and protections for students and educators.

The Career Ready New Mexico Act

Expands apprenticeships, technical education, industry credentials, healthcare pathways, and work-based learning.

The Special Education Access and Accountability Act

Addresses workforce shortages, service delays, parental communication, regional access, funding transparency, and compliance.

The Teacher Recruitment, Retention, and Classroom Support Act

Expands residencies and mentorships, rewards hard-to-fill service, reduces unnecessary paperwork, and helps teachers focus on instruction.

How We Will Pay for Reform

New Mexico should begin by using existing education funding more effectively rather than creating new layers of spending.

Funding priorities should include:

1. Redirecting ineffective or duplicative programs toward literacy, mathematics, tutoring, special education, teacher recruitment, and classroom safety.

2. Requiring major education programs to demonstrate measurable results before receiving continued funding.

3. Reducing unnecessary administrative growth and contracting costs.

4. Using nonrecurring revenue for one-time needs such as safety improvements, instructional materials, technology, teacher housing, and career-training equipment.

5. Protecting recurring revenue for ongoing classroom needs and proven programs.

6. Leveraging federal funding, private-sector partnerships, apprenticeships, and matching grants wherever appropriate.

7. Requiring transparent reporting so taxpayers can see how every major education appropriation is used.

   
   

New Mexico’s FY27 budget recommendations demonstrate that the state has substantial resources, but future revenue growth is expected to be more limited. Reform must therefore be disciplined, sustainable, and focused on measurable outcomes.

Measuring Success

Within five years, New Mexico should demonstrate:

• Meaningful annual growth in reading and mathematics.

• A substantial reduction in the number of students performing below basic levels.

• Improved third-grade literacy.

• Lower chronic absenteeism.

• Higher graduation and career-readiness rates.

• Fewer teacher vacancies.

• Faster special-education evaluations and service delivery.

• Safer classrooms.

• More funding reaching instruction and direct student support.

• Narrower achievement gaps among student groups.

  
  

New Mexico’s own Public Education Department publishes annual achievement information by subject, grade, assessment, district, and student group. These existing data systems should be used to establish transparent baselines and track progress.

A New Direction for New Mexico

Education reform is not about attacking teachers, parents, or students.

It is about confronting a system that has failed to deliver the results our children deserve.

We cannot continue doing the same things, electing the same leadership, funding the same ineffective approaches, and expecting a different outcome.

Our children cannot wait another decade.

They deserve to read confidently.

They deserve to master mathematics.

They deserve safe classrooms, excellent teachers, involved parents, and real opportunities after graduation.

They deserve leaders who will measure success by what happens in their lives, not by how much government spends or how many promises politicians make.

As a nurse practitioner, small business owner, and mom, I understand that problems do not improve simply because we care about them. We must identify what is failing, act with urgency, measure results, and change course when something is not working.

That is the leadership I will bring to Santa Fe.

I will stand with parents.

I will support teachers.

I will demand accountability.

And I will fight every day to give New Mexico’s children the education and future they deserve.

Our children do not get a second chance at childhood. It is time to turn education around in New Mexico.