NM House Republicans oppose Gov’s CRT curriculum and encourage local school boards to adopt their own standards
Santa Fe – House Republican Leadership issued a letter to the NM Public Education Department (PED) in opposition to the final rule on the new K-12 social studies curriculum standards. The new standards implement fundamentally flawed concepts of Critical Race Theory into New Mexico schools.
The final rule was intentionally published in the final days of the 30-day legislative session in order to obscure the new educational policies from public scrutiny. The proposed rule was drafted by a group of self-selected educators with no input from the public, and when the final rule (after the public comment) was published, the standards had been further revised by that same group of self-appointed educators. The public had no direct input on what changes were made in the final rule as the public (and legislators) only saw the changes when the final rule was released during the waning days of the session.
House Republicans hosted a statewide zoom call, during the original public comment period with educators, stakeholders, and superintendents on the controversial rule changes. While there were supporters of the proposed changes, overwhelmingly New Mexicans were unhappy with the Lujan Grisham administration’s efforts to block any outside input on the secretive changes. Commentary on the PED website during the public comment period was staunchly opposed to the blanket changes, and efforts to limit local school boards to make necessary curriculum choices.
The changes to core social studies curriculum, as set forth by Lujan Grisham’s PED represent a hostile and tone-deaf liberal slant in what is taught in New Mexico schools. House Republicans remain resolved to continue to oppose the Governor’s CRT education agenda and encourage local school boards to adopt K-12 social studies curriculum standards that promote and are consistent with New Mexico values, not the CRT and progressive tenets deceptively embedded in Lujan Grisham’s education policies.
Letter to PED is attached to this release.
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