from the Las Cruses Sun NewsBy Diana M. AlbaLAS CRUCES — Poverty is one of the most significant factors impacting public education in the state, said New Mexico Public Education Department Secretary Veronica Garc'a during a visit to Las Cruces on Tuesday.Garc'a addressed a group of educators from across the country attending the Interstate Migrant Education Conference, which runs through Wednesday.Garc'a said the state is taking a "holistic" approach toward improving education and is attempting to address all the needs of children. For instance, she said, school districts have worked to improve the health of students by removing unhealthy foods from vending machines. Also, she said the state is attempting to make sure students eat breakfast, which helps them focus in class and cuts...
from the Albuquerque JournalBy Jackie JadrnakJournal Staff Writer Political candidates may find themselves talking more about kids this year. The Every Child Matters Education Fund, based in Washington, D.C., has targeted New Mexico as its newest state to organize in raising the profile of children and family issues in the election. Its president, Michael Petit, will be in Santa Fe today to meet with local advocates and officials. "We don't support any candidates. We're nonpartisan," Petit said in a telephone interview. "We just create opportunities for candidates to express themselves on the issues." Two things about New Mexico drew the organization's interest. "It doesn't fare very well relative to the rest of the country for children's well-being," Petit said. "And there...
from The Free New Mexican By HENRY M. LOPEZMayor David Coss, following the likes of Oprah Winfrey, is encouraging people to read and think more about poverty.Coss spoke outside the Santa Fe Public Library on Wednesday afternoon to announce a "community read" of Nickel and Dimed: On Getting by (or not) in America by Barbara Ehrenreich. The author -- who traveled across the country working low-wage jobs for the book -- will speak at the Lensic Performing Arts Center on March 11, an event sponsored by the Santa Fe Living Wage Network."This communitywide read is a new way for Santa Feans to continue the discussion of how to deal with the very serious issue of poverty in our community," said Coss, who has yet to read the book.As part of the community read, Coss said, the city will sponsor a...
from Ohmy News Darin FosterThe small town of Taos sits at the northern edge of a long river valley that stretches north from Albuquerque, cutting through the high mountains of northern New Mexico. The town is dominated by Taos Mountain and the even more majestic Wheeler Peak, the highest point in the state. The Sangre de Cristo and Jemez mountains circle the horizon. To the south and west of town, the Rio Grande Gorge slices down 800 feet (244 meters) into the rocky desert scrub. These waters, which have cut through the highlands for millennia, continue south through the length of the state, before turning abruptly east to form the border between the United States and Mexico.Something in the geography of the place, or if you believe the words of the local mystics, the call of the Mountain...