By Rob Nikolewski │ New Mexico Watchdog
SANTA FE — A teacher evaluation plan promoted by Gov. Susana Martinez has sparked protests from some educators and unions accusing Martinez and the Public Education Department of being anti-teacher but Martinez defended her reform measures, telling New Mexico Watchdog, “I’m so pro-teacher it’s not even funny.”
The Republican governor [...]

By Rob Nikolewski │ New Mexico Watchdog
SANTA FE — The Public Education Department has offered $5,000 to attract teachers from high-performing schools to teach at schools struggling to make the grade.
But the head of one teachers’ union called the idea “disgusting.”
The stipend program passed the Democrat-controlled Legislature earlier this year as part of a budget bill [...]

The Hanna Skandera mini-series will resume Wednesday … maybe.
The long-running confirmation hearing for the secretary-designate of the Public Education Department (PED) is scheduled to resume in the Senate Rules Committee tomorrow but committee chairwoman Linda Lopez, D-Albuquerque, told reporters the hearing may get pushed back.
“We are scheduled for a hearing tomorrow,” Sen. Lopez told reporters [...]

Now that Gregg Marcantel has been confirmed as the Secretary of the Corrections Department, the focus turns to two high-profile cabinet members who have not received confirmation hearings — most specifically, secretary-designate Hanna Skandera of the Public Education Department.
Senate Majority Floor leader Michael Sanchez (D-Albuquerque) talked to reporters Thursday morning (Feb. 2) and suggested that [...]