The lack of education continues to hurt the future of New Mexico and all of America. It is a downright shame. We should all be very thankful for those who give of themselves serving our children in the public schools, whether in New Mexico or elsewhere.
A failing education system means we are failing ourselves. Think about it; pray about it; then do something about it. In His wisdom, God will show you what to do. Maybe you should run for school board?
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports today (8/19/2024) about the chronic absenteeism in New Mexico grade schools, pointing out that one of Santa Fe Public Schools’ five attendance coaches, Kendrick Nichols, is responsible for a caseload of more than 2,000 students to assure they regularly attend their elementary or middle schools.
During the 2022-23 school year, nearly 40% of New Mexico students were considered chronically absent — or missed more than a tenth of their classes. The state experienced the largest increase in chronic absenteeism rates in the country between the 2018-19 and 2022-23 school years.
The Santa Fe New Mexican article may be read HERE.
Experts have attributed this chronic absenteeism to the lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the shift in priorities regarding regular school attendance and in-person vs. online schooling. Sadly, New Mexico Public Education Secretary Arsenio Romero says that “there is still much trauma…coming out of the pandemic.”
The fact that 40% of New Mexico’s students were chronically absent (during the 2022-23 school year) is sad and shocking, as continuity is essential to assure step-by-step growth in education. Absenteeism not only affects the students frequently missing classes, for obvious reasons, but also the students who are not absent, because teachers are faced with the dichotomy of having to take time away from new material to ‘catch up’ those who have been absent – or to at least mitigate this issue.
The Bible makes it clear that it is essential to train up our children, but this training should be based upon the foundation or underpinning of faith in Christ Jesus – who gives us the strength and wisdom to ‘succeed’ in life, and to be an effective witness and blessing to all of those in our daily lives!
Proverbs 22:6 (NKJV)
“Train up a child in the way he should go, [a]nd when he is old he will not depart from it.”
Deuteronomy 6:6-7 (Amplified Bible)
“These words, which I [God] am commanding you today, shall be [written] on your heart and mind. You shall teach them diligently to your children [impressing God’s precepts on their minds and penetrating their hearts with His truths] and shall speak of them when you sit in your house and when you walk on the road and when you lie down and when you get up.”
The Bible also makes it clear that the primary responsibility for training our children falls upon us, the parents. Public schools are a blessing for so many families nowadays, which often have both parents working, or for single-parent families; however, we should never forget that the ultimate responsibility for our children’s education rests with the parents!
Ephesians 6:1-4 (NKJV)
Children and Parents
“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother,’ which is the first commandment with promise: ‘that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.’ And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.”