Unfortunately, our public schools don’t have the basic resources they need like up-to-date textbooks or transportation to and from school, much less enough literacy specialists or access to bilingual education. This reality has become exasperated by the current health crises, which has only widened existing educational inequities.

In a landmark 2018 decision, the court ruled in Yazzie/Martinez v. State of New Mexico that the state was violating New Mexico students’ constitutional right to a sufficient education and that the state must invest in the programs and services necessary to close opportunity gaps and fix deep inequities for low-income, Native American, English Language learner students, and students with disabilities.

The Center continues to litigate the case and uses advocacy and public outreach to hold the state accountable to the ruling. We fight for significant investments in a multicultural and multicultural education, successful programs like universal quality pre-K, teacher recruitment and retention, access to health and social services, and adequate funding for our schools. We also helped found Transform Education NM, a coalition of educators, youth, and community and tribal leaders working together in a movement to transform education.