Dear Gubernatorial Candidate,
As adults, we can often point to someone who has inspired us and helped us get to where we are today. Often, that person is a teacher. In your journey to become the next Governor of New Mexico, was there an educator who inspired you, challenged you, and believed in you?
Research indicates that teachers are the most influential factor in a child’s academic success. Teachers are also the ones who implement the educational policies developed at the Statehouse, and who know what their students need and how to help them achieve at high levels. Yet decisions about education are all too frequently made without teacher input and without teacher voice.
We hope to work with you to change this. We are a group of champion educators from across New Mexico who bring forth knowledge, experience, and a desire to be part of the policy decisions that affect our students and our work in the classroom. We adhere to a platform of educational values that support student learning, enhance the teaching profession, and move New Mexico’s citizenry forward. We support:
- Equitable opportunities for all students
- High-learning standards that support student pathways to college and careers
- High-quality assessments aligned to learning standards
- Accountability systems that are rigorous, accurate, and used as tools for educator growth and recognition
We are also members of the Teach Plus Network. Teach Plus is a national non-profit that empowers teachers to lead improvements in policy and practice, and operates in 11 states including New Mexico. Through the Teach Plus Policy Fellowship, which has thus far trained 35 New Mexico teachers, educators from across our state have focused on a range of issues including the teacher evaluation system, our state’s ESSA plan, mentorship, retention of effective educators, and prioritizing PreK for students in most need. The Teach Plus Network includes more than 100 teacher partners and is poised to grow this year and into the future.
There are more than 320,000 students and 22,000 teachers in New Mexico’s public schools. New Mexico’s students have made academic progress, but there is a need and an opportunity for improvement. We believe that that every child in New Mexico deserves to reach their highest potential, and that we can achieve this goal through strong leadership and collaboration. We look forward to partnering with you in this important work.
Teacher partners of the Teach Plus Network:
Hope Morales, NM Teach Plus State Director, Roswell
Danielle Kusmak, Tularosa
Kiersten Jacoby, Gallup
Vickie Kwiecinski, Albuquerque
Sheila Fitch, Clovis
Tamara Jones, Roswell
Edward Pena, Bayard
Mia Anderson, Santa Fe
Elizabeth Bowden, Los Alamos
Cherie Romero, Pojaque Valley
Zoe Gierman, Santa Fe
Pam Price, Santa Fe
Jamie Furney, Roswell
Anna Weaver, Ruidoso
Joe Dan Lovato, Albuquerque
Rena Stone, El Rito
Jill Hare, PhD, Silver City
Michelle Lopez, Jal
Mignon Simitz, Roswell
Dr. Trinidad Tolar, Silver City
Julie Sticklan, Las Cruces
Brittany Behenna Griffith, Santa Fe
Aja Currey, Las Vegas
Jill Hutchinson-Bass, Santa Fe
Dawn Bilbrey, Portales
Christine Eisenmann, Clovis
Jeneen Lujan, Pojaque Valley
Julia Burrola, Albuquerque
Andrea Thomas, Shiprock
Erin Armijo, Albuquerque
Nancy Johnson, Carlsbad
Sharon Fogle, Los Alamos
Victoria Apodoca Fisk, Las Cruces
Cindy Burger, Deming
Dustie Gonzalez, Clovis
Cassandra Brown, Santa Fe
Gary Bass, Santa Fe
Tennise Lucas, Roswell
Kelly Pearce, Albuquerque
Georgia Savage, Gallup
Mary Ellen Dannenberg, Santa Fe
Jessica Sanders, Roswell
Darlene Fortier, Santa Fe
Amanda Bader, Rio Rancho
Katy Vaz, Roswell
Shana Spicer, Albuquerque
Juan Aragon, Albuquerque
Ruth Gallegos, Kirtland
