Bill To Give NM Schools Letter Grades Passes

The New Mexico Legislature has passed a bill to grade schools.

Previously, public schools were graded as either pass or fail, under the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

The new legislation allows for grades “A” through “F” to be assigned to New Mexico’s public schools based on standardized tests taken by students.

The grades are also based on growth of student performance in reading and math and other factors such as high school graduation rate.

Supporters say the letter grades would make it easier for parents to decide which schools provide the best education for their children.

Others argue that it’s a band-aid fix for a much deeper-rooted problem.

“It’s basically a feel-good kind of bill,” Patrick Sanchez, an eighth grade history teacher at Lynn Middle School in Las Cruces, said.

Students and teachers alike want their school to provide the highest quality of education. But a bill based solely on a letter grading system gives the appearance of a quick fix to the much deeper problem of education reform, according to Sanchez.

“We need to be transparent to the public about how we’re doing, and I think we’ve been doing a good job of that,” Superintendent Stan Rounds, of the Las Cruces Public School District, said. “I support it, but the trick is in the detail, in what grading method they’re going to use.”

Gov. Susana Martinez, who pushed for the bill as part of her education reform in the state, gave final approval for the legislation.