Public Education Secretary Ryan Stewart

PED News:

SANTA FE — New Mexico Public Education Secretary Ryan Stewart issued the following statement Tuesday regarding a plaintiffs’ filing in the consolidated Yazzie-Martinez lawsuit:

“While it is the policy of the Public Education Department not to discuss pending litigation outside the courtroom, I would like to acknowledge the hard work being done by districts and charter schools, internet service providers, non-profit partners like the Information Technology Disaster Resource Center, collective action by the New Mexico Homework Gap Team and the Public Education Department to bridge New Mexico’s digital divide.

“The problem of internet access, so critical for education during this pandemic, is not new to New Mexico and will not be resolved entirely in one year. Nevertheless, with the help of our partners, we have been able to put thousands of digital devices into the hands of New Mexico students who lacked them, and we have expanded internet access and quality of access across the state. This work will continue until every child has what is needed to succeed academically. That is our commitment.”

Editor’s note: Plaintiffs in the landmark Yazzie/Martinez education lawsuit asked the First Judicial District Court Tuesday to order the State of New Mexico to provide computers and high-speed internet access to the thousands of “at-risk” students who lack these necessary tools for remote learning.