Jessica Castro-Buelna is the only southern New Mexico educator in the 16-member Teach Plus cohort working on attendance, charter funding and career education

Organ Mountain News report

LAS CRUCES - A Las Cruces educator will be southern New Mexico’s sole representative in a statewide fellowship aimed at shaping education policy over the next year.

Jessica Castro-Buelna, a senior fellow from Inspira STEAM Academy, is one of 16 educators selected for the 2026-27 Teach Plus New Mexico Policy Fellowship.

She is the only educator listed under southern New Mexico in the cohort, which includes teachers from northern, central and western parts of the state.

The fellows will work with the New Mexico Public Education Department, state officials and bipartisan lawmakers on three policy areas: early childhood attendance, charter school facilities and transportation funding and career and technical education.

Teach Plus said fellows receive training in policy analysis, research, advocacy and communications so they can bring classroom experience directly into policy discussions.

One of the fellowship’s priorities will be expanding access to career and technical education, including in smaller and rural school districts.

The cohort will also examine chronic absenteeism among younger students and funding disparities affecting charter school facilities and transportation.

Teach Plus New Mexico Executive Director Hope Morales said educators should play a central role in developing education policy.

“For New Mexico students to thrive, educators must be at the center of policy design,” Morales said. “These 16 exceptional teacher leaders understand precisely how state investments land in the classroom.”

The 2026-27 group is the ninth Teach Plus policy fellowship cohort in New Mexico.

Past fellows have advocated for state math instruction reforms, improvements to New Mexico’s public education data website and stronger school board training requirements.