AFT News:

SANTA FE — Respect New Mexico Educators will hold a rally noon Sunday, Jan. 23 at the Roundhouse in Santa Fe.

The purpose of the rally is to highlight the on-going crisis regarding educator vacancies in New Mexico public schools.

Specifically, this rally will seek to highlight and educate Santa Fe lawmakers and the public about the need for more highly qualified and well-trained educators to enter the profession in addition to the necessity to make significant policy changes to keep veteran educators in our schools and university.

This rally is occurring during an unprecedented time in New Mexico’s history where lawmakers can and should use a once-in-a-generation opportunity to address and remedy these issues in a way that can begin to rebuild the education profession and make our career attractive for new educators or those wishing to enter the educational field as a second career. 

A special feature of this event will be a showcase of community created artwork which reinforces the need to respect, recruit, and retain New Mexico’s educational staff and professionals and remarks from NEA President Becky Pringle and AFT President Randi Weingarten.

Note: Educators from across New Mexico will be on-hand to answer media questions. The following communities/districts will have representation at the rally: Los Alamos, Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Las Cruces, Gadsden, Peñasco, University of New Mexico and Branch Campus Faculty, Roswell, Bernalillo, Alamogordo, Los Lunas, Deming, Central Consolidated, Ruidoso, Carlsbad, Farmington, Rio Rancho, and Taos.

For media wishing to speak to participants on the day of the rally, please contact John Dyrcz at 505.554.8679 or Steve Sianez at 956.771.4619.