Welcome to the New Mexico Public Education Department Website

Martinez/Yazzie Discussion Draft and 2022 Strategic Plan

The Public Education Department is seeking public feedback on the Martinez/Yazzie Discussion Draft, a draft document summarizing the state’s ongoing and comprehensive plan to transform New Mexico’s education system in response to a court’s findings in the Martinez-Yazzie Consolidated Lawsuit. The public can comment in writing at draft.actionplan@state.nm.us through June 17. The final document will closely align with the 2022 Comprehensive Strategic Plan. The two documents will guide budgetary and programmatic decision-making with a single-minded focus on one goal: To assure that all students meet their full potential regardless of race, ethnicity, income or background.

New Mexico Wildfires

Our thoughts are with our fellow New Mexicans affected by fires burning around the state, and the PED continues to check in with our students, staff, superintendents, and school communities. Our sister agencies offer additional resources to check out as we continue into wildland fire season:

• New Mexico Environmental Public Health Tracking and 5-3-1 Visibility Guide
• New Mexico Fire Information
• New Mexico Environment Department

Anti-Racism Anti-Oppression Hotline

Students, families, and community members can report school-based incidents of racial bias by calling the Anti-Racism Anti-Oppression Hotline, maintained by the Public Education Department in compliance with the Black Education Act, HB43. The hotline is open to anyone and can be used to report incidents of racism, injustice, or discrimination against anyone in a school setting. The phone number is staffed by a trained department employee from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday; after-hours callers can leave a message.

To report an incident:
Call (833) 485-1335
Email ARAO.Hotline@state.nm.us
Fill out the online form at bit.ly/BEAhotline

PED Little Lending Library

The New Mexico Public Education Department’s new Little Lending Library is now open! Secretary Kurt Steinhaus christened the library in May, along with the library’s talented design and construction team made up of students from the Media Arts Collaborative Charter School in Albuquerque. The little lending library is located on the east side of the PED building at 300 Don Gaspar in Santa Fe. Take a look, grab a book, leave a book!

New Support Line for All

988 is a new, free, and easy to remember nationwide helpline for emotional, mental, or substance use crisis. 988 calls, texts, and chats are answered by trained, compassionate behavioral health professionals who know community mental health and substance use resources. Learn more here.

How it Works

Call

People who call 988 are given three options:

Press 1 to connect with the Veterans Crisis Line
Press 2 to connect with the Spanish Subnetwork
Remain on the line and be connected to a local crisis center; if local crisis center is unable to answer, the caller is routed to a national backup center

Text to Chat

People who text “TALK” to 988 will be connected to crisis centers equipped to respond to texts. Chat will be available through the Lifeline’s website.

For information about New Mexico’s COVID-19 Watchlist, please visit NMED here, where you can search by city or school name.