Local lawmakers support early childhood education amendment HJR-1
After years of slow but steady progress, the state's efforts towards realizing comprehensive early childhood education just took a great leap forward.
Friday (Feb. 12) the New Mexico House of Representatives voted in favor of a Constitutional Amendment, House Joint Resolution
1, that would allocate one percent of the current $22 billion Permanent Fund — nearly $200 million a year — towards early childhood educational services.
The House voted in favor by a margin of 44-23, mostly along party lines. The joint resolution now goes to the Senate for committee hearings, and if it passes, would be put to a statewide vote.
State Sen. Roberto “Bobby” J. Gonzales, D-Ranchos de Taos, State Rep. Susan Herrera, D-Embudo, and State Rep. Kristina Ortez, D-Taos, held a virtual Town Hall on Monday (Feb. 22) to discuss the proposed Amendment.
“I think common sense tells us you can't build anything without a good foundation,” said Rachel Lucero, a Taos County resident, during the online event. “My children are of this age. We don't get these years back. And 1 percent, frankly, isn't enough. But it's a great starting point.”
Over 100 attendees joined the town hall, sponsored by Paso a Paso Network, Invest In Kids Now Coalition and Taos United. Of those who participated in the online poll, 96 percent were in
favor of the joint resolution.
The Amendment was introduced by Rep. Antonio Maestas, D-Albuquerque, Rep. Javier Martínez, D-Albuquerque, Rep. Elizabeth “Liz” Thomson, D-Albuquerque, Rep. Georgene Louis, D-Albuquerque, and Sen. Pete Campos, D-Las Vegas, on Jan. 5, 2021, prior to the start of this year’s Legislative Session.
“There’s a reason we have a Democratic House and Senate,” said Herrera, who supports the amendment. “The stars don’t line up the way they need to line up all the time. So the time is now.”
Another beneficiary
“For me, it’s to do it right,” said Gonzales. “The worst thing would be to start a program, and then have to cut it back.” Gonzales said he supports the amendment, but expressed concerns about how the funding would work.
The Permanent Fund draws revenue from market investments and oil and gas drilling fees, and subsidizes 21 beneficiaries across the state including New Mexico’s public schools and universities. HJR-1 is currently written to add early childhood education funding to that list of beneficiaries.
But Gonzales said K-12 public education also needs more funding, to meet the requirements of the 2018 Yazzie/Martinez lawsuit ruling. In that ruling, a judge required the state to increase investments in education to help students who are at risk of falling behind or dropping out.
“What I heard is that advocates are open to the possibility of the 1 percent becoming 2 percent and having K-12 added,” said Ortez. “As long as there is still at least 1 percent for early childhood.”
A plan in place
“I’m really excited to see the momentum that House Joint Resolution 1 has made this year, as I have been invested personally in this bill since six years ago,” said Alison McPartlon, a teacher at the University of New Mexico–Taos Kids’ Campus.
In past years, legislative efforts to fund early childhood education have stalled in the Senate, mostly due to inaction by conservative Democrats. But after the 2020 election, many of those Democrats were not re-elected, paving the way for action.
“For the first time in this bill’s history, we have a department and a strategic plan to support how this money could be allocated,” said McPartlon, referring to the Early Childhood Education and Care Department.
The New Mexico ECECD was created in 2019 by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham to serve the health, education and well-being needs of infants and young children. The department officially launched July 1, 2020.
“What excites me the most about funding early childhood education is building and retaining an early childhood workforce,” said McPartlon.
The state will spend upwards of $420 million on early childhood education this fiscal year, according to Elizabeth Groginsky, Secretary of the ECECD. Of that, roughly half comes from the state coffers and the rest comes from the federal government and other sources.
“One time, I asked one of the kindergarten teachers who do you think went to pre-K and who didn’t. He goes, ‘this one did, this one didn’t, this one did.’ And that teacher was right on. He knew. It was just so obvious,” said Lillian Torrez, superintendent of Taos Municipal Schools.
“School readiness is evident in children — social skills, emotional health, they understand routines, sharing, listening, collaborating, and they have developed early math and reading skills,” said Torrez. “And one of the most important facets is their parents’ involvement and engagement in school readiness.”
“This constitutional amendment, when passed by the voters of New Mexico, will increase opportunities for every child,” Torrez continued. “We cannot leave even one child out. The best investment for New Mexico’s economic sustainability is the investment in our youngest citizens.”