On August 7, 2024, the New Mexico Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (Committee) issued a report on educational adequacy for Native American students in the state. The report was issued after a series of public hearings where the Committee heard from individuals, organizations, and professionals with specific knowledge of and experience with education in New Mexico.
In July 2018, a New Mexico state district judge ruled in the consolidated lawsuit Yazzie/Martinez that the state has failed to adequately invest in public education, violating its constitutional duty to provide a "uniform system of free public schools sufficient for the education of and open to all children of school age." The court found significant deficiencies in both educational inputs, such as instructional materials, curricula, and qualified teachers, and outputs, where at-risk students frequently lack basic literacy and math skills necessary for post-secondary education or career readiness.
bpeery@usccr.gov