Bill proposing changes to the Mathematics and Science Education Act advances

Lawmakers advanced a bill Wednesday that proposes statewide requirements for math instruction in K-12 schools and professional development for teachers

Senate Bill 235, sponsored by Sen. Bill Soules (D-Las Cruces), makes changes to the Mathematics and Science Education Act, including requiring school districts to create professional learning plans, assess students for difficulties in learning math before they finish second grade, provide interventions for students with learning difficulties and notify parents of their child’s learning difficulties. The bill will also require that the Public Education Department monitor math instructional materials, create a leadership framework and set minimum course requirements for teacher licensure.

Soules presented the bill to the Senate Education Committee, which he chairs, on Wednesday and received unanimous support from members. SB 235 now goes to the Senate Health and Public Affairs Committee.

Soules said the state has worked hard in recent years to support structured literacy in public schools and improve literacy among New Mexico students, but the same attention has not been given to mathematics. Deficiencies in both math and reading were highlighted in the Yazzie/Martinez lawsuit by the late District Judge Sarah Singleton.

“It’s now time that we start talking about math and the very low performance of students in New Mexico in the math area,” Soules said during the meeting. “We’ve sort of pushed it aside.”

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The bill received ample support from attendees, including representatives from the Higher Education Department, Public Education Department, New Mexico School Board Association, New Mexico Coalition of Educational Leaders, Albuquerque Teachers Federation, Think New Mexico, Kids Can, Teach Plus New Mexico, Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce, NM Partnership for Math & Science Education and New Mexico MESA.

Higher Education Department Secretary Stephanie Rodriguez shared her personal struggle with math as a young student and applauded the bill’s attention to screening for math learning difficulties.

“I have dyscalculia, and unfortunately, it took many years of struggle to figure that out,” Rodriguez told the committee. “I still went to college, but there are many other children in New Mexico who will go their entire life of schooling thinking they may not be college material or may not enter a trade program because math is too hard.”