by José Armas
Hispanic Link News Service
A L B U Q U E R Q U E , N.M. — New Mexico Latinos turned out in unprecedented numbers to vote Republican last fall, making Susana Martínez the first Latina governor in U.S. history. She certainly captured our imagination, especially since she branded herself as the “bold education reform” candidate. So after her first 100 days, what’s the report card on this charismatic leader? First, let’s set the stage:
• New Mexico is the only Latino-majority state in the union. Latino children make up more than 60 percent of its students, outnumbering whites nearly two-to-one. • Our state’s public education system ranks as one of the nation’s very worst. Fewer than half of its high school students graduate in four years.
•Last year Latinos helped outgoing Gov. Bill Richardson pass the Hispanic Education Act, the only law in the country that specifically addresses the nation’s Latino education crisis. Its initiatives have yet to take hold. So, with Latino achievement so dismal, we’ve been waiting anxiously for our bold new governor to act.
After completing her first legislative session, here’s her report card, from a Latino perspective:
• Governor Martínez fought for and was granted a 1.5 percent cut in the state education budget. Then days after the legislative session ended this month, her education secretary Hanna Skandera dropped the bombshell that new cuts were in fact going to more than double the original amount.
• Under another Republican governor 40 years ago, our education budget made up 55 percent of state expenditures. Today Martínez slashed that budget to nearly 39 percent, the lowest in recorded history. This revelation is creating outrage among school districts throughout the state. And others…
• Skandera, an outsider who is white, was brought in by Martínez to design her bold education reform plan. Skandera, in turn, brought in eight other white hired guns, none of whom are educators, to fix us. She’s been bold all right.
• The Hispanic Education Act called for an annual education status report as well as establish an advisory council made up of Latino education experts to help provide the state direction. The first report was posted on the department of education’s web site before Richardson left office.
But days after becoming governor, Martínez had that report pulled. Members of the advisory council, who have never been asked for their counsel, decided to convene on their own. They informed Skandera that they wanted to provide their input before the reform plan is finalized. Another plan, being put together by Skandera and blessed by Martínez with no input from the Latino council, is expected to be unveiled any day now. The council now awaits the possibility of being fired for its own bold initiative.
The New Mexico state constitution calls for “perfect equality” for everyone and mandates that education must be “adequately funded.” Martinez’s budget will now be 25 percent below what experts have determined to be “adequately funded.” Latinos are now, ironically, looking at the real possibility of filing a civil rights case against a Latina governor. Remember, 75 percent of all New Mexico’s students are Latino, Indian or African American. We are among the country’s poorest states due in major part to our broken education system.
Bringing in white noneducators to fix things promises turmoil. “Bold education reform” is not going to happen by slashing this state’s education to its lowest levels ever. Our dream of “perfect equality” is being relegated to the back of the bus. In another slap at Latinos, Martínez fought to repeal a law that allowsundocumented residents to
apply for driver’s licenses.
When Martínez’s repeal act was rejected, she immediately began a very public campaign to continue her assault on the law that makes driving safer here by requiring everyone to have insurance and pass a driving test. Martínez did recently receive much attention for signing into law a bill that permits dogs to go into restaurants. Presumably, to eat with the rest of us uneducated masses.
S o w h a t ’ s h e r r e p o r t c a r d ?
While the GOP nationally is preparing to make Martínez their “affirmative action” poster girl, our Latino community’s dream of an education reform to give our children a fair chance to succeed in life is now shoved to the back of the bus. After 100 days, our freshman governor needs to join the rest of us back here and share the view.
(José Armas, a resident of Albuquerque for 40 years, is an award-winning writer and publisher. Email him at armas@swcp.com)
