Bill > HM12

This Memorial urges the New Mexico Public Education Department to create a detailed plan by June 1, 2022, to fix educational problems identified in the Yazzie/Martinez v. State of New Mexico lawsuit, which found the state was failing to provide a sufficient education to four groups of "at-risk" students: Native American students, English language learners, students with disabilities, and low-income students. The plan must include specific goals, actions, timelines, staffing needs, accountability measures, and projected funding to address these deficiencies, and should incorporate existing recommendations from experts and stakeholders. The Public Education Department is also directed to collaborate with the Higher Education Department to address teacher shortages and to develop this plan jointly with the plaintiffs in the Yazzie/Martinez case in an effort to resolve the lawsuit. Finally, the department must submit an annual report to the legislature detailing the plan's implementation and the state's progress in fulfilling its constitutional duty to provide an adequate education for all at-risk children.