Education analyst Franklin Schargel asks this question in a recent opinion piece that appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. The question is a good one and I agree with much of the article. As an editorial from the Defensor-Chieftain rightly states, the Legislature in particular needs to allow Education Sec. Skandera and the Gov. implement their agenda rather than continuously fighting them.
There are real problems with New Mexico’s (not to mention the nation’s) educational system. These are systemic and built up over generations. Are legislative Democrats going to try “stall-ball” as they did under Gary Johnson or are they actually going to try something new?
Paul, you say, “There are real problems with New Mexico’s … educational system. These are systemic and built up over generations.”
It may seem like that the problems were build up over generations but the problem existed from the beginning–when government took over public education. Socialism doesn’t work. How can it be that people understand the Soviet socialist system as a whole failed but be blind to our own socialist school system?
Privatize! There is no other solution.
I totally agree with you. While I support measures like school choice, virtual schools, and charters (among many other concepts), the best choice would be to get the government out of running the schools.
Over and over again our public schools fail on so many levels. Overwhelmingly, New Mexico public schools outspend private schools and have much lower educational outcomes. Something has to change if we are going to improve education. We can’t continue to hand money over to public school administrators who are not helping our children just because “that’s the way it has always been.”