Officials Take Efforts To Minimize Cuts To Education During Special Legislative Session Underway In Santa Fe
Staff Report
The New Mexico Coalition of Educational Leaders, Superintendents across the state and Dist. 43 Rep. Stephanie Garcia Richard are working overtime to avoid significant cuts to education during the Special Legislative Session underway in Santa Fe.
Gov. Susana Martinez called the Legislature into Special Session Friday, Sept. 30 to address a $500 million projected budget shortfall for the current fiscal year. Early in September, she ordered every government department to cut spending by 5 percent resulting in some cost savings but not enough to close the gap. Last week, Legislators Read More
Seminar: Cornering Breast Cancer―The Next Generation Of Anti-Tumor Therapies
Nature On Tap: Recent Discoveries In Astronomy Oct. 6
PEEC News:
The community is invited to this week’s Nature on Tap to discuss the latest findings in astronomy.
Local astronomers and astrophysicists Dr. Paul Arendt, Dr. Galen Gisler and Dr. Rick Wallace will provide an engaging discussion about black holes, NASA’s Juno probe, the moons of Jupiter and Saturn, the night sky, and upcoming planetarium shows 5:30-7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 6 at UnQuarked in Central Park Square.
Arendt received his PhD in physics at Ohio State University and now works in commercial manufacturing and the Applied Research & Development of Materials Read More
Valles Caldera Geology Field Trip With Fraser And Cathy Goff Oct. 9
Geologist Fraser Goff, who wrote the book on Valles’ geology, is leading a trip Oct. 9 to the Valles Caldera with his wife Cathy Goff. Courtesy photoMary Cardin Workshops At Fuller Lodge Art Center
A fall inspired work by Mary Cardin. Courtesy photoFLAC News:
Chances are anyone who has lived in Los Alamos for awhile has seen a watercolor painted by Mary Cardin.
Cardin’s work hangs everywhere from private homes to the public library. That’s because Cardin has a long standing and beloved relationship with Los Alamos. Every year she finds herself making the trek from Chama to Los Alamos to share her artwork and knowledge, and every year Cardin invites her students to come up to Chama and take weekend workshops at her Bed and Breakfast.
There’s a reason the road between Cardin’s Bed and
PEEC Provides Fishing Adventure At Fenton Oct. 8
Casey Harthorn teaching the next generation how to fish. Courtesy photoLetter To The Editor: Thankful To This Community
By JOANNA GILLESPIEWhen my husband and I returned to Los Alamos to raise our children in our hometown, I confess that I was quite surprised by how little had changed. It was a new lens for me; I was looking at Los Alamos with the eyes of a homeowner and a voter. Sixteen years later, when I drive around our community I feel a deep sense of gratitude to every citizen that has voted for sensible change.
The flower baskets that hang along Central Avenue are perhaps the simplest change, but at every turn there are improvements that affect the quality of life here in our hilltop community. Attending Read More
Nature Center Talk: The Language Of Bears Oct. 4
Wildlife biologist Daryl Ratajczak feeding a bear cub 20 years ago. Ratajczak will give a free talk Tuesday at the Los Alamos Nature Center. Courtesy photoCharter Schools In New Mexico: Legislature Takes Up Charter Funding
Charter Schools Part 2
McCurdy Charter School Governance Board Chairperson Deborah Bennett Anderson had to answer to the Public Education Commission at a meeting earlier this spring where school officials were looking to secure an extension in order to finalize the necessary funding needed for construction of an $8 million two-story building.
Nearly four years prior, in 2012, the school had gone before the commission to present a long-term plan to address facility corrections which had been previously brought up by state officials. Commission Chair Read More
Letter To The Editor: House Bill 145 Is Flawed
By MARIE CHIRAVALLE
Los Alamos
As a registered Republican one of the main reasons I am supporting Democratic Candidate Stephanie Garcia Richard for House Representative District 43 is because of her positions on education and in particular her opposition to House Bill 145.
House Bill 145 Adjunct Secondary Instructions Act permits the hiring of adjunct teachers for grades 7-12 and enables them to teach up to one half of a full year teacher’s workload at the bottom of the pay scale. Yes it would lower the cost of education but at the expense of your child’s education.
I am a 43-year retired educator Read More
Stover: Let’s Rise Above Partisanship To Do What’s Best For New Mexico Students
By Sharon StoverThe issue of adjunct teachers should not be partisan or divisive. I am disappointed by the recent acrimony surrounding this straightforward idea.
Earlier this year, I listened to Dr. Kurt Steinhaus, Los Alamos Public Schools (LAPS) superintendent, speak about the adjunct teacher proposal that was offered during the 2016 Legislative Session. Dr. Steinhaus supported the idea of adjunct teachers to tap the local expertise of scientists and engineers in our community and to strengthen the relationship between the Los Read More
DOE Awards $1.5 Million Grant To UML
DOE News:U.S. Department Of Education Awards Three NM Schools With National Recognition
STATE EDUCATION News:- New Mexico School for the Arts in Santa Fe;
- Mesa Elementary School in Clovis; and
- Cloudcroft Middle School.
Special Session Alert: Educators Are Petitioning For Students To Be Protected From Budget Cuts
NEA-New Mexico News:
Education employees throughout New Mexico are collecting petition signatures ahead of the Special Session of the Legislature and Friday morning NEA-New Mexico will present those petition signatures to the Governor and Chairman Larry Larranaga of the House Finance Committee and Chairman John Smith of the Senate Finance Committee.
The petition reads as follows:
AS YOU WORK TO RESOLVE THE STATE BUDGET CRISIS, make no more cuts to public schools and higher education. As educators, we are all committed to the success of every student. The success of New Mexico Read More
Letter To The Editor: School Tours Begin Friday
By MORRIE PONGRATZWith apologies to Dr. Seuss “Oh, the schools you’ll see!”
Thanks to the voters of Los Alamos and their approval of recent Los Alamos Public Schools bond elections we have three “new” schools for you to visit! The bond approvals made the funds available from property taxes and the schools partnered with the State of New Mexico for matching funds. Combined with excellent construction oversight this resulted in a maximum “bang for the buck” whereas some existing facilities were maintained and some completely new facilities were constructed. Read More
A Teacher’s Simple Plea To Legislators, Parents, Students And My Community
By HEIDI SCHEMBRIMy name is Heidi Schembri, and I have been teaching for 15 years in Los Alamos Public Schools. I love my profession and have had the honor to work with many wonderful children, parents, school employees and community members.
Over the last several years, there has been much controversy over the new teacher evaluation system. Our current New Mexico teacher evaluation system rates teachers on the following criteria: “Each category is weighted according to the amount of student achievement data available for the teacher. Improved student achievement is worth from Read More
Rotary Youth Exchange Student’s Program
Ida Mattila, the Rotary Club of Los Alamos’s Youth Exchange student 2016-17, presents a trade banner from her hometown, Hamina, Finland, to Club President Rob Metcalf during her program Sept. 13. Metcalf reciprocates with a Los Alamos banner for her to give the Finnish club upon Mattila’s return next summer. Mattila is studying at Los Alamos high school and hosted by Kim Selvage and family. Photo by Laura Loy Read More
Orale! Lowrider Poetry Slam At NMHM Oct. 16
Levi Romero, assistant professor of Chicana and Chicano Studies at UNM. Courtesy photoSFCC Recognized For Green Practices
SFCC News:NNMC President Elect’s Letter To Community
Dr. Richard J. Baily, Jr.When I say to people how “humbled and honored” I am to be serving the students, faculty, and staff as Northern New Mexico College’s next president, I promise they are not just words.
After 24 years in service to the United States Air Force, there is nowhere on the planet my wife Diana and I would rather be. We have been excited about moving to New Mexico for as long as I can remember, so the opportunity to serve Northern is truly a blessing.
My family has a strong personal connection to northern Read More
