New Mexico Public Education Department submits draft to court, invites feedback through Oct. 17

Organ Mountain News report

SANTA FE - The New Mexico Public Education Department has submitted a draft version of the Martinez/Yazzie Action Plan to the court in the ongoing Yazzie/Martinez v. State of New Mexico lawsuit.

Developed with support from WestEd and Legislative Education Study Committee staff, the draft outlines how the state plans to meet its constitutional duty to provide every student with a uniform and sufficient education. The plan focuses on the needs of English learners, Native American students, students with disabilities and those living in poverty.

The draft is available for public review at martinezyazzieactionplan.org, where community members can submit comments in English or Spanish through Oct. 17. Feedback will help shape the final version, which is due to the court Nov. 3.

“We are so grateful to the people of the state for showing up and participating in the community engagement process,” Public Education Secretary Mariana D. Padilla said. “The response has been thoughtful and inspiring and will meaningfully impact education for the young people in our state.”

The department contracted with the LANL Foundation to lead public engagement. More than 1,000 participants attended 12 regional meetings held in cities including Las Cruces, Gallup, Española and Zuni, with five additional virtual sessions and over 1,200 online survey responses collected.

Sessions offered food, childcare and interpretation services in multiple languages, including American Sign Language, to ensure broad participation. Additional meetings were held with tribal leaders, educators, legislators and higher education officials between July and September.

The draft plan remains open for public comment through Oct. 17, after which a final version will be submitted to the court for review. Community groups and education advocates are expected to weigh in over the coming weeks as the state’s response to the Yazzie/Martinez ruling continues to unfold.

For more information and updates, visit martinezyazzieactionplan.org.