On December 7th, 2023, Alamogordo celebrated the launch of the Charter School Initiative, a community program to provide more education options. The “Charter School 101 – Community Partner Reveal” event was hosted by Alamogordo Center of Commerce, MainGate United (https://www.alamogordo.com/maingate-united/) at the Reception Hall. The event attracted several legislative charter supporters, including Sen. Ron Griggs, Rep. Jim Townsend, and Rep. Harlan Vincent, as well as local school district superintendents and many community leaders. The event also had many potential candidates for the director role in attendance.
Morning Session Highlights
10:00 – 11:30 am – Community Partner Reveal
10:00 – 10:15 am – Community and team introductions, the need for a charter school, and the Alamogordo opportunity
10:15 – 10:50 am – Charter 101 presentation. Guest open question opportunity
10:50 – 11:20 am – Questions for the group (Small group discussions)
In what ways can a charter school help our community?
What type of curriculum should reflect our community?
What extra-curricular activities are needed?
This all-day Partnering Event began with Dr. Jim Klump, the MainGate Chair, making an opening statement and introductions of Cynthia Strong, the Educational Committee Launch Agent, and Matt Pahl, the Executive Director and Valery Ratliff-Parker, Deputy Director, both representing Public Charter Schools of New Mexico.
During his opening statement, Dr. Klump mentioned that MainGate had come up with the idea of opening a public charter school. This school will allow parents to choose how their children receive public education. He further stated that MainGate is moving forward with the charter school project in response to concerns expressed by Dr. Arsenio Romero, Secretary of Public Education, and remarks made by Andrew Sanchez, a Trainer at the New Mexico School Boards Association. Klump noted their sole purpose is to get APS back on track.
Dr. Klump emphasized some excerpts from a letter Romero sent to all district leaders, where he expressed his concern about the unacceptable number of low-performing schools in New Mexico and the need for accountability towards the state’s children. In the same letter, Romero mentioned that Governor Lujan Grisham has spent billions of dollars on education since 2019, but there have been no visible performance gains. It is unacceptable to throw money at the school performance issue; it is not the solution.
A Letter from the Secretary of Education – NM PED
Dear District Leaders,
Like many New Mexicans, I am deeply alarmed by the high number of low-performing schools and what that means for the state, the children who are being educated here, and our future. Far too many of our schools are underperforming. Students statewide have low reading and math proficiencies. This is unacceptable. It is time for accountability: for the Public Education Department, for the school districts (including their boards and schools), charter schools, teachers’ unions and families. We owe this accountability to our state’s most precious resource: children.
While some progress has been made, we cannot ignore the persistent low student achievement results and achievement gaps that continue to plague New Mexico’s public schools decade after decade. It is time to break free from the status quo and demand excellence from everyone who works within the state’s education system.
In the highlights of the most recent data, we see that every student has the capacity for success, if given the right tools and under strong school leadership. The reading gains in Pojoaque of over 26 percent demonstrate unequivocally how quickly student success can be achieved with the right focus. Leadership in the Pojoaque School District invested time and energy into bringing Structured Literacy to their students and in doing that, showed all of us what is possible. Schools have the tools: they need only be put to use.
The NMPED remains committed to working with school districts and school leaders to make sure these goals are accomplished. This will require the development and implementation of effective, evidence-based policies and programs, as well as leadership, innovation, and change.
Gov. Lujan Grisham and New Mexico legislators have invested billions of dollars in the state’s education system since 2019 – levels never before seen in history – but historic academic gains have not followed. Statewide, barely a third of students are proficient in reading, and less than a quarter are proficient in math, and these results are worse for students from low-income families and with disabilities, English learners, and Native American students. That must change.
NMPED’s proposed budget to the legislature this year will be focused on accountability. It will require that all districts, schools, and classrooms in New Mexico be held responsible for the academic achievement and growth of their students. We can no longer afford to overlook underperforming schools or allow subpar educational experiences to persist. In this model, we will enforce accountability at the district level to ensure that those that do not provide their students with an effective education implement programs and policies that are proven to produce positive results. That shift will allow the state to create a renewed culture of high expectations, collaboration, and innovation that will propel our students toward success.
The time for action is now. Let us come together as stakeholders in education—parents, teachers, administrators, policymakers—and embrace this bold vision for accountability. Together, we can build a brighter future for our children, our communities, and our great state.
Sincerely,
Arsenio Romero, Ph.D.
Secretary of Education
Klump provided another justification for creating charter schools, which is to grant parents greater authority over their children’s education in response to the opinions of school board trainer Andrew Sanchez. Sanchez argues that parents have no right to dictate how public schools should instruct their kids. If parents are unhappy with the instruction, Sanchez said they should look for other options. However, Klump believes that many families can’t afford the tuition required for alternative schools in the area, even though they are excellent. That’s why creating a charter school would be good for the community. https://thefederalist.com/2023/03/24/new-mexico-school-boards-association-administrator-parents-have-no-rights-in-public-education/
The Executive Director of Public Charter Schools of New Mexico (PCSNM), Matt Pahl, describes his organization as a membership organization representing charter schools across the state. Their primary task is advocacy and support. They work towards advocating for their schools at the Santa Fe legislature and with the public. PCSNM supports schools by offering collaboration and professional development opportunities; they are always available to assist with whatever they need.
The attendees had the chance to participate with real-time questions during open-floor discussions about holding a charter school accountable in an elevated way. Topics in discussion include what school choice looks like for a charter school in New Mexico. Like all public schools, a public charter school is accessible at no cost to community students. The key exceptions include subject areas and teacher evaluations. Charter schools are seen as able to do things on the ground differently because the governing board is unique to the school. What kind of programming would benefit Alamogordo was a lively topic. Opportunities for inspection were favored, including blended individualized schedules and reimagining the existing facilities due to a decline in New Mexico’s student population. Also highlighted is the type of curriculum that reflects the community and the extra-curricular activities needed for the first Alamogordo Charter campus.
Legislative Session Highlights
Noon – 1:30 pm Legislative Lunch – Hosted Lunch
During a hosted lunch, MainGate United took the opportunity to discuss their views on the “Alamogordo Opportunity,” and guests shared their own experiences with charter schools. The comments centered around the importance of having choices in a community, particularly regarding academic opportunities. Rep. Jim Townsend and Rep. Harlan Vincent provided vital takeaways regarding accountability and hurdles often placed upon the charter Governing Counsel. That focus must remain on supporting the students. One parent explained how school choice remains on the minds of “parents who know in their heart that the educational needs of their kids are not being met” and “parents are having to make the sacrifices of having to pay for educational choice.” The Legislative Session highlighted that a public charter school provides control over the student experience and can better measure what is happening in the schoolroom.
Afternoon Session Highlights
2:00 – 3:30 pm MainGate Strategy Session – Primary Challenges and Strategies
The afternoon strategy session broke ground, transitioning the day’s ‘Community Needs’ and ‘Community Benefits’ presentations to an open working session about three primary challenges and strategies for the mission. This conversational process session anchored three barrier milestones.
Leadership – Need to identify school leader followed by the Governing Council
Facility – What is available in Alamogordo for purchase, lease, or construction
Project Focus – Maintaining appropriate focus and staying committed
The next step is to onboard a charter school leader. This process entails identifying eligible school leader candidates and vetting their level of interest, commitment, and qualifications to determine the best fit for the position. The following step is to onboard the Governing Council and begin formal training of the leader while implementing the two-year application and startup process.
Community Session Highlights
4:00 – 5:00 pm – Charter 101 Session from PCSNM, open to the general community
4:00 – 4:10 – Introductions and Presentation – charter opportunity in the community
A general overview of the day’s events was provided during the open session, which you can find in the “Morning Session Highlights” above. Dr. Jim Klump briefly introduced the key event attendees, including Matt Pahl from PCSNM. It was mentioned that several individuals have already submitted their interest applications for the charter school leader position, and some newly informed individuals are interested in the position.
5:00 – 6:00 pm – Reception
It is refreshing to know that MainGate United’s Educational Committee has remained vigilant in supporting our community. The Alamogordo Sentinel has published several articles that raise concerns about the tactics used by APS to silence change agents, it is encouraging to see that MainGate has persisted. MainGate United refused to accept the APS district’s claim that they don’t need or want MainGate’s assistance as an intermediary. Moving this project forward is a firm assertion of their resolve.
MainGate is committed to strengthening Alamogordo through its mission to provide unwavering support for Holloman Air Force Base, White Sands Missile Range, and Fort Bliss by promoting open communication and collaboration with all community partners, including safeguarding the education of students in our community and base-associated families.
MainGate remains resolved to accomplish what APS rebuffs. Transparency and providing the means to increase student academic achievement dramatically.
CHARTER SCHOOL IMPLEMENTATION TEAM
REVEAL AGENDA
DECEMBER 7, 2023
10:00 – 11:30 am – Community Partner Reveal
10:00 – 10:15 – Community and team introductions, the need for a charter school, and the Alamogordo opportunity
10:15 – 10:50 – Charter 101 presentation. Guest open question opportunity
10:5 0 -11:20 am – Questions for the group (Small group discussions)
In what ways can a charter school help our community?
What type of curriculum should reflect our community?
What extra-curricular activities are needed?
Noon – 1:30 pm Legislative Lunch – Hosted Lunch
Noon to 12:15 – Welcome and a thank you – Legislative charter school supporters
12:15 -12:30 – MainGate Presentation; “Alamogordo opportunity”
12:25 – 12:35 –Representative Block; his charter school history
12:35 – 12:45 – New Mexico Public Poll Results
12:45 – 1:20 – Conversational Charter 101 presentation
1:20 – 1:30 – Informal break and discussion
2:00 – 3:30 pm MainGate Strategy Session – Primary Challenges and Strategies
2:00-2:30 pm – Conversational Charter 101 process session
Primary Barrier Discussion:
Leadership – Foremost: school leader, then Governing Council
Facility – What is available in Alamogordo?
Focus – Determining appropriate focus and staying committed
4:00 – 5:00 pm – Charter 101 Session from PCSNM, open to the general community
4:00 – 4:10 – Introductions and MainGate presents a charter opportunity in the community
Charter 101 session – extended Q&A
5:00 – 6:00 pm – Reception
Great News Alamogordo – Another New Mexico Charter School
