President and CEO, LANL Foundation The 2018 lawsuit Martinez-Yazzie vs. the State of New Mexico names four student groups who are not receiving an adequate education in violation of our State Constitution: the economically disadvantaged, English language learners, students with disabilities, and Native American students. These four groups make up roughly 86% of New Mexico’s student population. Native American students, however, who make up 13 % of our public school student population, deserve special support and recognition. As a state with one of the largest Native American populations (12.8% compared to the national average of 2.6%), New Mexico can and should be a model for Native education. Yet our Native American students continually perform behind their peers on state and national proficiency assessments. Why? Native students, in non-Native public schools, may never see a Native teacher or counselor. They are often bussed great distances to public schools, missing out on after school activities and enrichment opportunities. Their languages, cultures, and ways of life are often ignored and undermined in school and other settings. Native American students are reportedly expelled far more often than any other demographic group and at least four times as often as white students. Native American […]
Another legislative opportunity to center native youth
You may also like...
