[Editor's Note: This summary came from the sponsor of the event, OAKNM. This editor attended, but is way behind in articles and thanked the group for their assistance in getting the news out in a timely manner. Photos are also courtesy of the organization.]

Silver City, NM- On Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, the Wrangler's Bar and Grill event room was filled with parents, elected officials, candidates, private and public-school educators, administrators, and school board members, who were gathered to discuss education reform.

Opportunity for All Kids New Mexico, a Rio Grande Foundation initiative that describes its work as "dedicated to advocating for educational choice for parents, students, and teachers, and broad-based education reform in New Mexico," sponsored and emceed the event.

Among the attendees and participants were representatives from the Silver Consolidated School District, Cobre Consolidated Schools, Deming Public Schools – all public-school districts – and Calvary Christian Academy, a private school. Also in attendance was State Representative Luis Terrazas (District 39), Candidate for New Mexico State Senate Gabriel Ramos (District 28), and Candidate for State Representative Rebecca Dow (District 38), who currently works with OAK NM.

The discussion began with a request for each attendee to answer a simple question, "If you could wave a magic wand, what would you like to see happen for students and educators in New Mexico?"

A microphone was passed around the room where community members from all walks of life answered the question with a range of topics from increased transparency, continuity, accountability, and addressing absenteeism to additional services, such as tutoring, homework help, and career technical education pathways.

Representative Luis Terrazas commented on the turnout and participation of the forum, "This meeting was an incredible opportunity to bring educators, parents, and concerned community members together in one room to talk about doing right by our kids. We may have different perspectives on how to achieve that, but we all want better results for our kids and grandkids, and we want parents to feel confident and engaged. There is nothing more important."

Concerns about the loss of parental rights and the lack of engagement in New Mexico classrooms were expressed more than once during the discussion.

Perhaps one of the oldest fundamental liberty interests recognized in the United States is that parents have a fundamental right to make decisions concerning the care, custody, and control of their children. Parents are presumed to act in the best interest of their children, and only where it can be demonstrated that a parent is unfit has state government historically been justified in interfering with this right.

Expressed during the event was that over the years, the state has eroded parental rights. For example, in 2023, four bills were passed by the Legislature and signed by the governor that side with minor children in their decisions around pregnancy, behavioral health services, treatment of sexually transmitted infections, and gender affirming care and surgeries. These four laws – House Bills 7, 31, and 207 and Senate Bill 398 – collectively allow children to make decisions around gender affirming care, STI treatment, behavioral health services, pregnancy-related care, and name changes all while prohibiting public employees and programs receiving public funding from interfering with this care or giving parents notification of their children's decisions.

A Silver Consolidated School Board Member said he was surprised to learn this kind of information at the forum. He was previously unaware of the laws enacted in 2023 that restricted parental rights. The newest board member in attendance, Kimberly Klement was able to pull up the policies associated with the bills during the meeting. They were adopted by the Silver Consolidated Schools in September 2023.

The following are the four bills enacted in 2023:

HB7- Reproductive and Gender-Affirming Health Care. The bill all but prohibits a public entity from engaging a parent to participate in the healthcare decisions of their child if those decisions are related to pregnancy or social, chemical, and surgical care. This bill was signed into law by Governor Lujan Grisham on March 16, 2023.

HB31- No Publication Required for Name Changes - allows minors 14 years or older to change their name without notification or parental consent. It also allows minors under 14 years old to petition the court to change their name; in instances where the court finds parental notification will jeopardize the child's safety, the court can waive parental notification for children under 14 years old. This bill was signed into law by Governor Lujan Grisham on March 24, 2023.

HB207- Expand Human Rights Act extended the New Mexico Human Rights Act protections to discrimination from political subdivisions of the state and public contractors. It also prohibits discrimination based on sex, sexual identity, gender, and gender identity. This bill was signed into law by Governor Lujan Grisham on March 24, 2023.

SB397- School-Based Health Centers states state-funded school-based health centers shall provide or shall refer specified healthcare, including primary and preventive healthcare, mental health and substance abuse care, and crisis intervention and inpatient services. When read in conjunction with HB 7 and HB 207, minor children will be able to receive gender-affirming care, pregnancy-related care, treatment for sexually transmitted infections, and behavioral health services including psychotropic drugs through a school-based health clinic without involvement from a child's parents. This bill was signed into law by Governor Lujan Grisham on March 30, 2023.

In addition to concern about the lack of parental notification and engagement, school board members expressed frustration with the constant rulemaking from the New Mexico Public Education Department and ever-moving targets amidst frequent leadership changes.

Silver Consolidated Schools is one of multiple school districts statewide currently suing the Public Education Department for overreach and authority.

Attendee responses to the prompt, "If you could wave a magic wand, what would you like to see happen for students and educators in New Mexico?":

Gabriel Ramos, candidate for State Senate in District 28: "We have to make sure that every parent is able to make decisions for their children when it comes to medical [information] and whatever they're learning in regard to curriculum."

Silver School Board member: "If there was one thing I could change, it would be every time we have a different executive or change in administration, we throw out what we've done for the last 4-8 years and start all over. For me that's the most difficult thing."

Director at Calvary Christian: "Money should follow the student. Then, not only can the students choose where they want to go to school but teachers can decide where they want to teach."

Parent in Silver City area: "I would like to see more focus on student outcomes- the real outcomes- not just measuring tests. School seems to have become about adults…"

Silver City Law Enforcement Officer: "If I would wave a magic wand, let teachers teach. Get away from the numbers and all these stats that prevent them from teaching. The kids, they aren't learning, I see it… Poor kids, it's not their fault. They've been left behind."

Teacher at Deming High School: "If I could wave a magic wand- testing. We are killing the kids with tests…"

Representative Luis Terrazas closed the meeting with a brief statement, "First of all, as a parent, I feel that our kids deserve the best education, and we need to be involved all the way through… it's also important that we get back to the basics with reading, writing, and mathematics." He continued, "I think we need to empower the teachers, but we have to keep our decision-making local."

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