REPORT FROM SANTA FE IS MADE POSSIBLE, IN PART, BY GRANTS FROM THE NEW MEXICO MUNICIPAL LEAGUE, A BETTER NEW MEXICO THROUGH BETTER CITIES AND FROM HELLO, I'M LORENE MILLS AND WELCOME TO REPORT FROM SANTA FE.

I AM HONORED TO HAVE OUR GUEST TODAY, SENATOR MIMI STEWART, A DEMOCRAT FROM ALBUQUERQUE AND THE CHAIR OF THE SENATE COMMITTEES COMMITTEE AND WE'LL TALK IN A MINUTE ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT THAT IS, BUT YOU'RE A RETIRED EDUCATOR, AND I ALWAYS LOVE TALKING TO YOU ABOUT EDUCATION, WHICH WILL BE ONE OF OUR TOPICS.

BUT YOU WERE IN THE HOUSE FROM 1995 TO 2014, THAT WAS 19 YEARS.

>>MIMI: TWENTY.

>>LORENE: TWENTY YEARS, BUT WHO'S COUNTING, AND IN THE SENATE SINCE 2015, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

AND NOW YOU'RE THE PRESIDENT PRO TEM OF THE NEW MEXICO SENATE, SO WHAT DOES THE PRO TEM DO?

>>MIMI: OH MY, YOU KNOW, IT'S MOSTLY ADMINISTRATIVE.

YOU KNOW, I'VE MADE OVER 100 APPOINTMENTS IN THE LAST TWO YEARS ALL OVER THE STATE.

I'VE TRIED TO FOCUS ON PEOPLE OF COLOR FOR THOSE APPOINTMENTS, THEY'VE OFTEN BEEN LEFT OUT.

I ALSO RUN THE COMMITTEES COMMITTEE, THAT YOU MENTIONED BEFORE.

>>LORENE: LET'S TALK ABOUT WHY THAT'S SO IMPORTANT RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE, TALK TO ME ABOUT THE NEW MEXICO CONSTITUTION AND THE WAY THAT THE TWO LINKS OF THE SESSIONS WERE SET UP IN EVEN NUMBERED YEARS.

IT'S GOING TO BE A MONTH LONG, NO MORE THAN 30 DAY SESSION, I THINK THE CONSTITUTION SAYS, YOU CAN CORRECT THAT.

BUT FOR THINGS TO BE ADMITTED IN THIS SHORT SESSION, THE ONE WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW, IT HAS TO BE EITHER ON THE GOVERNOR'S CALL OR A BUDGET MATTER, AND IF NOT, IT IS DETERMINED NOT TO BE GERMANE.

SO TALK TO ME.

>>MIMI: OKAY, SO EACH OF THE CHAMBERS HAS A COMMITTEE THAT DETERMINE FOR THE 30 DAYS IF A BILL IS GERMANE AND GERMANE MEANS IT RAISES MONEY, IT SPENDS MONEY.

SO TAX CREDITS ARE GERMANE, BUDGETARY APPROPRIATIONS ARE GERMANE AND ANYTHING THAT THE GOVERNOR, WE WOULD SAY PUT ON THE CALL, BUT IT'S MORE LIKE THE GOVERNOR WILL GIVE A MESSAGE TO, THE GOVERNOR WILL SAY, YES, YOU CAN LISTEN TO THIS BILL.

SO THE GOVERNOR IS GIVEN ABOUT 50 OR 60 MESSAGES ALREADY TO THE SENATE.

WE WORKED WITH HER, SAID SHE'D DO THE MESSAGES SOONER.

SO WE DON'T THINK THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT MORE OF THEM, WE THINK THE MAJORITY OF THEM HAVE ALREADY ARRIVED.

>>LORENE: MAY I ASK ONE QUESTION ABOUT THEM.

ARE SOME SO BROAD THAT ONE MESSAGE WOULD BE I WANT TO HEAR ISSUES ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY, SO THAT'S LIKE 50 BILLS ABOUT GUNS.

>>MIMI: YES, I THINK IT'S KIND OF HARD AND THAT'S WHY THESE COMMITTEES ARE IMPORTANT, BECAUSE IT'S SOMETIMES REALLY DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE IF A BILL MEETS THAT GERMANNESS.

SO WE TRY TO BE MORE CONSERVATIVE AND IF WE DON'T THINK A BILL IS GERMANE, WE ASK THE SPONSOR TO GET A MESSAGE FROM THE GOVERNOR.

IT TAKES UP AN INORDINATE AMOUNT OF TIME IN A 30 DAY, BUT REMEMBER, WE CAN ONLY INTRODUCE BILLS FOR HALF OF THIS SESSION, SO JANUARY 31ST WE WON'T BE ABLE TO INTRODUCE ANY MORE BILLS.

THERE'S A FEW EMERGENCY BILLS, THERE'S A FEW YOU CAN DO RESOLUTIONS OR MEMORIALS, THOSE DON'T HAVE TO COME TO THE COMMITTEES COMMITTEE.

SO BY JANUARY 31ST, OUR WORK WILL ALMOST BE DONE TO DETERMINE IF BILLS ARE GERMANE OR NOT AND THEN WE'LL JUST HAVE TO WORK ON THE 300 OR SO BILLS THAT WE'VE DETERMINED ARE GERMANE.

>>LORENE: NOW, CAN YOU TELL OUR AUDIENCE WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK IN THE HOUSE WITH THE SPEAKER.

HE DEEMED ABOUT HALF OF THE 100 BILLS ALREADY INTRODUCED WERE NOT GERMANE.

>>MIMI: WELL, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN TEN YEARS SINCE I'VE BEEN IN THE HOUSE.

I WAS THERE FOR 20 YEARS, I'VE SORT OF FORGOTTEN HOW IT WORKS.

THE MYTHOLOGY IS THAT THE HOUSE IS MUCH MORE LIBERAL AND THEY JUST RANDOMLY MAKE BILLS GERMANE ALL THE TIME, I DON'T THINK THAT'S TRUE.

AND THEN THERE'S THIS MYTH THAT THE SENATE IS VERY HARDNOSED, I DON'T THINK THAT'S TRUE.

I THINK BOTH HOUSES ARE JUST TRYING, BUT, YOU KNOW, I CAN LOOK AT A GROUP OF BILLS AND PRETTY EASILY SAY GERMANE, GERMANE, NOT GERMANE.

I CAN DO THAT BECAUSE I HAVE 29 YEARS IN THE LEGISLATURE AND I'VE PAID ATTENTION.

>>LORENE: YES, YOU HAVE.

>>MIMI: SO IT'S NOT THAT DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE IS THE BILL RAISING MONEY, IS IT SPENDING MONEY, IS IT A TAX CREDIT, ARE WE CHANGING A FORMULA THAT EITHER GENERATES MONEY OR GENERATES WHAT YOU HAVE TO PAY?

THOSE ARE ALL GERMANE BECAUSE THEY EITHER RAISE MONEY, SPEND MONEY, OR SAVE MONEY.

SO IT'S ALL THE OTHER STUFF.

SO THE GUN BILLS, THEY'RE NOT GERMANE, THE GOVERNOR WILL HAVE TO GIVE A MESSAGE.

A LOT OF CRIME BILLS ARE NOT GERMANE, GOVERNOR WILL HAVE TO GIVE THE MESSAGE.

MY PAID FAMILY MEDICAL LEAVE ACT NOT GERMANE, I HAVE A MESSAGE FROM THE GOVERNOR.

SO I'M HOPING, I'M HOPING WE'RE SORT OF STOPPED NOW FOR SO MANY MESSAGES AND SO MANY LOOKING AT THE BILLS, BUT WE'VE GOT A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME.

>>LORENE: I WOULD LIKE TO ASK YOU ABOUT THE PAID FAMILY LEAVE BILL.

IT HAS BEEN INTRODUCED SEVERAL TIMES AND FAILED.

>>MIMI: YES.

>>LORENE: HAVE YOU MODIFIED IT WITH MORE BUSINESS, THE BUSINESSES HATED IT, WE DON'T WANT TO PAY, YOU KNOW, YOU TO TAKE LEAVE.

HAVE YOU MANAGED TO WORK WITH THE BUSINESSES AND THE EMPLOYEES.

>>MIMI: WE HAVE, WE HAVE.

>>LORENE: SO WHAT'S IN THIS BILL THAT'S THAT MAKES IT BETTER?

>>MIMI: YOU KNOW, THIS SUMMER, THE HOUSE MEMBERS, MY SPONSORS, REPRESENTATIVE CHANDLER, REPRESENTATIVE SERRADO, MYSELF, REPRESENTATIVE ROYBAL CABALLERO, SARITA NAIR, SECRETARY OF WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS.

WE WENT TO BOTH COLORADO AND NASHVILLE TO MEET WITH GROUPS OF STATES WHERE THEY'VE ALREADY DONE PAID FAMILY MEDICAL LEAVE OR THEY'RE THINKING ABOUT IT.

AND THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE ALREADY DONE IT SHARED WITH US PROBLEMS THEY HAD THAT THEY FIXED.

IN EFFECT, SARITA NAIR ACTUALLY REWROTE PART OF THE BILL AFTER THE VISIT TO COLORADO.

SO WE THINK WE'VE MADE IT MUCH BETTER, IN ADDITION, WE'VE DONE A HUGE POLL AMONG 350 BUSINESSES IN NEW MEXICO, 85% ARE IN FAVOR OF THIS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, BIG BUSINESS IS ALREADY DO THIS.

YOU KNOW, THE STATE, THE GOVERNOR HAS ALREADY PROCLAIMED THIS TO BE FOR STATE EMPLOYEES.

SO IN ABOUT HALF OF THE PEOPLE IN NEW MEXICO ALREADY HAVE A GOOD PAID FAMILY MEDICAL LEAVE ACT, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY HAS ONE.

SO WE HAVE ABOUT 50 SMALL BUSINESSES NOW THAT ARE PART OF OUR COALITION, IT'S MOSTLY THE CHAMBERS THAT DON'T LIKE IT AND I REALLY THINK IT'S BECAUSE THEY DON'T REALIZE HOW GOOD IT IS FOR BUSINESSES.

AND THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENED IN OTHER STATES, BETTER EMPLOYEE MORALE, BETTER WORKFORCE PARTICIPATION, LESS TIME OFF, LESS GETTING EVERYBODY AT WORK SICK BECAUSE YOU CAN'T TAKE TIME OFF AND MORE LOYAL EMPLOYEES.

I HAVE A CONSTITUENT WHOSE DAUGHTER, SIX YEARS AGO, MOVED TO CALIFORNIA, SHE WANTED TO HAVE CHILDREN, SHE WANTED TO START WORK AND SHE WANTED PAID FAMILY MEDICAL LEAVE.

SO IN CALIFORNIA, SHE NOW HAS TWO YOUNG CHILDREN, SHE HAS HER SAME JOB AS WHEN SHE STARTED, BECAUSE THEY GAVE HER TIME OFF TO BOND WITH THAT CHILD, TO HAVE THAT CHILD HAVE A CHANCE TO GET A SUCCESSFUL LIFE THROUGH THAT EARLY BONDING, BREAST FEEDING, ALL OF THAT THAT YOU HAVE TO DO IN THOSE FIRST FEW MONTHS.

SO WE JUST THINK THIS IS A MARVELOUS BILL.

>>LORENE: SO I WAS DOING SOME RESEARCH ABOUT THIS AND I WAS SURPRISED THAT IT DOESN'T COST THAT MUCH EITHER FOR THE EMPLOYEE OR THE EMPLOYER, A COUPLE OF HUNDRED BUCKS.

>>MIMI: IT'S NOT THE COST, EVEN SENATOR GEORGE MUNOZ TOLD ME THAT, THE COST IS DE MINIMIS.

FOR A WORKER, IT'S A COUPLE OF BUCKS A WEEK, FOR A WORKER AT THE MEDIAN, IT STILL IT STILL ONLY COSTS BASICALLY $5 FOR EVERY $1,000 OF WAGES.

AND FOR EMPLOYERS, IT'S $4 FOR EVERY $1,000 OF WAGES.

YOU CAN DO THE MATH.

FOR MINIMUM WAGE WORKERS, THEN EMPLOYERS ARE GOING TO BE ABOUT 100 BUCKS A YEAR AND FOR THEM, IT'LL BE A LITTLE BIT MORE.

SO IN THE POLLING THAT WE'VE DONE, WE TELL EVERYONE HOW MUCH IT COSTS AND WE HAVE HUGE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE THAT FEEL THIS COULD BE A REAL BENEFIT FOR THEM.

THIS IS A BENEFIT FOR A LOT OF WOMEN AND WE ONLY HAVE 47% OF WOMEN IN OUR WORKFORCE NOW.

WHY?

YOU GET PREGNANT, YOUR WORK DOESN'T GIVE YOU TIME OFF, YOU EITHER QUIT OR YOU GO TO WORK BEFORE YOU REALLY SHOULD.

>>LORENE: AND YOU PUT A TWO-WEEK-OLD BABY IN DAYCARE >>MIMI: AND YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO PUT A TWO-WEEK OLD BABY IN DAYCARE.

THE AMERICAN PEDIATRIC ASSOCIATION SAID, PLEASE, THREE MONTHS, BARE MINIMUM TO KEEP THAT BABY HOME.

>>LORENE: SINCE WE'RE LOOKING AT CHILDREN YOUTH AND FAMILY AND THE DEVELOPING CHILD, YOU SAT NEXT TO THE GOVERNOR ON THURSDAY, JANUARY 18, THE GOVERNOR HAD A PRESS CONFERENCE ABOUT THE LITERACY INSTITUTE AND LITERACY, WHICH ACTUALLY MADE MY HEART GO PITTER PATTER, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S LITERACY IS FOUNDATIONAL IN ALMOST EVERYTHING THE STATE WANTS TO MAKE PROGRESS IN.

SO SHE HAD ASKED FOR $60 MILLION FOR THE LITERACY INSTITUTE, $30 MILLION FOR THE BUILDING, AND THEN $30 MILLION TO EMBED ALL THAT STRUCTURAL LITERACY, WHICH YOU'RE GOING TO TELL US ABOUT THAT, WITH AT LEAST 10,000 STUDENTS EVERY YEAR.

WELL, I TAKE OFF MY HAT, IT'S VERY AMBITIOUS, CAN YOU TELL US HOW THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN AND I KNOW YOU'RE A REAL SUPPORTER OF LITERACY.

>>MIMI: SO THIS SUMMER I WENT TO KANSAS WITH THE GOVERNOR AND WE VISITED A LITERACY INSTITUTE IN PITTSBURGH, KANSAS, WE SPENT A COUPLE OF DAYS THERE.

THAT GAVE ME A CHANCE TO TELL HER ABOUT STRUCTURED LITERACY, AND SHE'S ALREADY STARTED TO LEARN IT HERSELF.

SO ABOUT SIX DECADES AGO, WE STARTED REALLY STUDYING HOW DO KIDS LEARN TO READ, WHAT ARE WE NOT DOING THAT WE CAN DO TO HELP THEM?

NO, IT'S SHOCKING, LORENE, HOW LONG THIS EDUCATION COMMUNITY HAS NOT PUT EVIDENCE-BASED TEACHING ON THE TABLE.

WE'VE HAD TWO ICONS THAT DID NOT HELP US GO DOWN THE RIGHT PATH FOR HOW KIDS LEARN TO READ AND HOW TO TEACH THEM READING.

>>LORENE: WHO WERE THOSE ICONS?

>>MIMI: THEY WERE MARIE CLAY FROM NEW ZEALAND AND LUCY CALKINS.

LUCY CALKINS HAS NOW BEEN TOLD SHE'S NO LONGER WELCOME AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY BECAUSE BOTH OF THEM HAVE PROMOTED WHAT'S CALLED A THREE-QUEUING SYSTEM WHERE YOU BASICALLY GUESS WHEN YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT A WORD IS.

YOU LOOK AT THE PICTURES AND GUESS, YOU SUPPOSEDLY THINK ABOUT WHERE THE WORD IS IN THE SENTENCE AND GUESS, AND YOU THINK ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT IT SOUNDS CORRECT.

IT'S PHONEMIC AWARENESS, PHONICS, FLUENCY, IT'S VOCABULARY AND COMPREHENSION, THOSE ARE THE FIVE CORE COMPONENTS OF LEARNING TO READ.

AND WHAT'S REALLY EXCITING, LORIENE, IS THAT THESE ARE EVIDENCE BASED AND THEY WORK.

IF YOU UNDERSTAND THE SCIENCE OF READING, YOU CAN TEACH ANYONE HOW TO READ, YOU CAN.

SO WE ARE ON THE PROCESS OF TEACHING EVERY TEACHER WHAT STRUCTURED LITERACY IS AND HOW TO START INCORPORATING IT INTO THEIR CLASSROOM NO MATTER WHAT GRADE THEY'RE TEACHING.

SO STRUCTURED LITERACY IS A WAY FOR US TO TEACH THE ALPHABETIC CODE TO EVERY CHILD THROUGH A VERY EXPLICIT AND DIRECT AND SYSTEMATIC AND SEQUENTIAL WAY OF LEARNING THE ALPHABETIC CODE.

I TUTORED KIDS FOR ABOUT THREE YEARS, I HAD THIS FIFTH GRADER SAY, MISS STEWART, I JUST FEEL LIKE EVERYONE AROUND ME HAS SOME SECRET CODE THAT THEY KNOW THAT I DON'T.

I SAID, YOU'RE RIGHT, IT'S CALLED THE ALPHABETIC CODE AND I'M GOING TO TEACH IT TO YOU.

SO YOU START AT THE BEGINNING WITH JUST THE SOUNDS, JUST THE SOUNDS THE LANGUAGE IS MAKING.

FOR PRE-K, YOU PLAY WITH THOSE SOUNDS, FOR KINDERGARTEN YOU PLAY WITH THEM, YOU SPREAD WORDS OUT, YOU PUT THEM TOGETHER, YOU HAVE 15 MINUTES A DAY OF PLAY ON PHONEMIC AWARENESS.

IF YOUR LAST NAME STARTS WITH MMMM, YOU CAN LINE UP FIRST FOR RECESS.

THERE GOES YOUR MONTOYAS OR MAESTAS, YOUR MADRIDS, EVERYONE ELSE.

SO IT'S A WONDERFUL WAY TO HAVE YOUNG CHILDREN START TO UNDERSTAND THE SOUNDS OF THE LANGUAGE IN ANY LANGUAGE, STRUCTURED LITERACY IS FOR SPANISH SPEAKERS AND SPANISH READERS ALSO.

AND ONCE YOU LEARN ONE LANGUAGE, IT'S MUCH EASIER TO LEARN THE SECOND LANGUAGE.

SO NOW WE KNOW WHAT WE HAVE TO DO AND WE'VE STARTED TRAINING THESE TEACHERS.

IT'S CALLED LETRS, IT'S ABOUT A TWO-YEAR PROCESS FOR YOU TO RELEARN HOW KIDS LEARN TO READ AND HOW YOU DO IT IN YOUR CLASSROOM.

IT'S PHENOMENAL AND THAT'S STRUCTURED LITERACY.

>>LORENE: WE'RE SPEAKING TODAY WITH SENATOR MIMI STEWART, A RETIRED EDUCATOR, BUT OBVIOUSLY YOU ARE STILL EDUCATING US.

SO ONE OF THE THINGS I LEARNED ABOUT THE SCIENCE OF READING WAS THAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY MEASURE THE SUCCESS OF IT.

>>MIMI: YES AND GUESS WHAT?

>>LORENE: WHAT?

>>MIMI: NEW MEXICO HAS STARTED TO INCREASE OUR LITERACY SCORES.

NATIVE AMERICAN STUDENTS HAVE GONE UP 5%, STATEWIDE WE'VE GONE UP 4%.

WE HAVE ONE ELEMENTARY, IT'S SEVERAL SCHOOLS IN POJOAQUE, WHERE THEY'VE BEEN REALLY LOOKING AT THIS FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS AND THEIR SCORES ARE MUCH HIGHER THAN THAT, MUCH HIGHER THAN THAT.

SO, YOU KNOW, THE GOVERNOR AND MYSELF, WE LOOK AT THIS AND WE SAY, ALL RIGHT, HOW CAN WE RAMP THIS UP?

AND THAT IS HER SIX WEEK BOOT CAMP NEXT SUMMER, FREE.

WE'RE TRYING TO GET 10,000 KIDS, IF YOU NEED TO BRUSH UP ON YOUR READING, THE SIX WEEK BOOT CAMP IS FOR YOU.

AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO TAKE THAT SAME TRAINING AND PUT IT INTO AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR.

>>LORENE: SO HOW CAN PARENTS FIND OUT ABOUT THIS SIX WEEK BOOT CAMP AND SIGN KIDS UP?

>>MIMI: WELL, WE DON'T KNOW THAT YET.

PRETTY SOON AFTER THIS SESSION, IF WE GET THE MONEY, IF WE GET IT IN PLACE, THE RFPS HAVE ALREADY GONE OUT.

WE NEED 2500 TEACHERS, SO CAN WE FIND THAT MANY TEACHERS THAT WE CAN ENSURE THAT THEY KNOW WHAT STRUCTURED LITERACY IS.

PROBABLY BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN TRAINING THEM, WE'VE TRAINED, WE THINK, 9000 TEACHERS IN THE LAST THREE OR FOUR YEARS.

>>LORENE: OH MY GOODNESS.

>>MIMI: SIGNIFICANT, IT'S SIGNIFICANT.

AND THAT'S WHY YOU'RE SEEING THE INCREASE IN THE READING SCORES, BUT WE WANT THOSE MUCH HIGHER.

YOU KNOW, MISSISSIPPI, YOU'VE HEARD OF THE MIRACLE OF MISSISSIPPI.

THEY STARTED THIS IN 2014, THEY WERE ALWAYS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE READING SCORES, SAME WHERE NEW MEXICO WAS.

TEN YEARS LATER THEY'RE IN THE MIDDLE, THEY'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PACK.

>>LORENE: THAT'S VERY INSTRUCTIVE BECAUSE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SAYING, IN THE CAPITAL... >>MIMI: THANK GOD FOR MISSISSIPPI.

>>LORENE: YES, EXACTLY, THAT THE STATE'S MOTTO IS NOT CRESCIT EUNDO, IT GROWS AS IT GOES, BUT THANK GOODNESS FOR MISSISSIPPI, BECAUSE THEY WERE ALWAYS WORSE THAN WE ARE.

>>MIMI: NO MORE.

>>LORENE: AND NOW ARE WE IN LAST VERY LAST PLACE?

>>MIMI: WE ARE, WE'RE IN VERY LAST PLACE.

>>LORENE: OH, THAT BREAKS MY HEART.

>>MIMI: SO AFTER THE PANDEMIC, IT IS REALLY LAST.

THE PANDEMIC HAS IMPACTED EVERYTHING ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.

BUT WE'RE ON A ROLL, WE ARE GOING TO TRAIN THESE TEACHERS TO TEACH ACCORDING TO THE SCIENCE AND PRINCIPALS AND SUPERINTENDENTS, SPECIAL ED TEACHERS OF COURSE, WE'RE ON A PATH TO DO THAT.

NOT ONLY THAT, BUT WE'RE NOW WORKING WITH THE COLLEGES OF EDUCATION AND THEIR PROFESSORS, SOME OF THEM, UNM, IN PARTICULAR, WESTERN, THEY ARE GOING TO TAKE THE LETRS TRAINING, SO THAT THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, BECAUSE TEACHERS HAVE BEEN TELLING US THAT LETRS TRAINING, I FINALLY KNOW HOW TO TEACH READING, IT'S PHENOMENAL, WHY DIDN'T I LEARN THIS IN COLLEGE.

>>LORENE: SO AS A RETIRED EDUCATOR, BUT CLEARLY, WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN EDUCATION NOW, HOW DO YOU READ IT, HOW DOES IT LOOK TO YOU?

>>MIMI: THERE'S JUST A LOT OF TRAUMA LEFT FROM THE PANDEMIC, AND WE HAVE A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF KIDS WHO HAVE NOT LEARNED TO READ BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOT BEEN IN SCHOOL.

>>LORENE: THE OTHER THING IS, WITH EVERYONE WEARING A MASK, THEY COULDN'T LIP READ AND HEAR IT AND SEE IT AT THE SAME TIME, IT WAS ALL, YOU KNOW, AND SO AT CERTAIN AGES, KIDS REALLY NEED THE WHOLE PICTURE.

>>MIMI: YES, YOUNG KIDS DO NEED TO SEE IT.

>>LORENE: TO INTEGRATE IT INTO THEIR BRAIN.

>>MIMI: THAT'S RIGHT, THAT'S RIGHT.

JUST THINK OF A B AND A P, VERY SIMILAR.

SO WHAT'S YOUR MOUTH DO, YOU HAVE TO DO THIS FOR THE B, IT'S JUST A LITTLE PUFF OF AIR.

>>LORENE: BILABIAL FRICATIVE.

>>MIMI: BUT HOW DO YOU DO THAT WITH MASKS.

IT'S BEEN REALLY HARD ON TEACHERS, JUST IMAGINE MARCH OF 2020.

GO HOME, ALL YOUR KIDS ARE GOING HOME AND TURN YOUR CLASSROOM NOW ONTO A ZOOM LINK.

ZOOM, WHAT'S THAT?

AND SOME OF THESE TEACHERS DON'T KNOW HOW TO DO THIS.

SO THAT TRAUMA, MY STEPSON HAS AN EIGHT YEAR OLD DAUGHTER, SHE HASN'T HAD ANY READING INSTRUCTION BECAUSE SHE WASN'T IN SCHOOL FOR SECOND OR THIRD GRADE.

SO HE HAD TO SEND HER TO A BOOT CAMP, SO THIS BOOT CAMP IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR THESE YOUNGER KIDS.

I JUST WANT TO GIVE KUDOS TO THE GOVERNOR FOR COMING UP WITH THIS.

>>LORENE: YOU BET.

>>MIMI: AND I'M HOPING THAT WE CAN DO IT.

WE'VE GOT GREAT PEOPLE IN THIS STATE THAT AMY MILLER AT THE MAY CENTER, THERE'S OTHER PEOPLE THAT UNDERSTAND STRUCTURED LITERACY.

IT'S AN ALL HANDS ON DECK FOR US TO DO THIS BOOT CAMP AND THEN AFTER SCHOOL NEXT YEAR.

NOT ONLY THAT, BUT WE'RE MOVING IT TO SECONDARY BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT SOME KIDS WHO HAVEN'T UNDERSTOOD THE SCIENCE OF READING, HAVEN'T REALLY LEARNED TO READ WELL, AND THEY'RE IN MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL.

AND SO THERE'S GREAT CURRICULUM ON THE SCIENCE OF READING FOR MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL AND WE'RE GOING TO START IN ON THAT IF WE GET THE MONEY OUT OF THE BUDGET PEOPLE.

>>LORENE: IF YOU DO, IF THIS PASSES, IF YOUR RFPS ARE PASSED, I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE YOU BACK TO LET PARENTS AND STUDENTS KNOW WHAT'S AVAILABLE TO THEM, BECAUSE THIS IS GOING TO BE LIFESAVING.

IF THEY FALL THAT FAR BEHIND EARLY ON, THEY'RE STILL STRUGGLING ALL THE WAY THROUGH JUNIOR HIGH AND HIGH SCHOOL.

>>MIMI: THEY ARE STRUGGLING.

>>LORENE: AND IT'S NOT THEIR FAULT.

>>MIMI: IT'S NOT THEIR FAULT.

AND SHAME ON THE EDUCATION COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE FOR TAKING ALL THIS TIME AND NOT PUTTING IN PLACE THE SCIENCE OF HOW KIDS ACTUALLY LEARN TO READ.

THEY LEARN TO READ BY LOOKING AT EVERY LETTER, EVERY CHUNK, AND THEY PUT WHAT THEY'VE LEARNED ABOUT THOSE PHONEMES, PHONEMES, THOSE LITTLE SOUND PARTS TOGETHER.

YOU KNOW, YOU TEACH THEM TO SPREAD WORDS OUT AND PUT THEM TOGETHER, THAT'S WHAT READING IS.

READING IS LOOKING AT EVERY LETTER, SOUNDING IT OUT, COMING TO A WORD AT THE END.

AND WE ALL DO THAT, WE JUST DO IT IN NANOSECONDS, EVEN YOU AND ME, WE LOOK AT EVERY WORD, YOU DON'T GUESS.

>>LORENE: NO, THAT JUST BREAKS MY HEART.

>>MIMI: WE CHUNK, WE LOOK AT EVERY WORD.

BUT WE'VE DONE IT SO MUCH, OUR FLUENCY IS HIGH, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE WORK ON FLUENCY WITH THESE KIDS.

THEY NEED TO TAKE HOME LITTLE DECODABLE BOOKS ON WHAT THEY'VE LEARNED.

AND PARENTS, PARENTS, PARENTS HAVE GOT TO READ TO THOSE KIDS EVERY NIGHT, PARENTS READING TO THE KIDS, NOT MAKING YOUR CHILD READ TO YOU, READ TO THAT CHILD, SO THEY HEAR BOOK LANGUAGE, THEY HEAR HOW EXCITED YOU GET ABOUT A STORY.

>>LORENE: AND THEN THEY HAVE THE INTIMACY OF READING WITH THEIR PARENT OR THEIR LOVED ONE.

>>MIMI: AND THINK ABOUT WHAT THAT DOES TO A CHILD WHO DOESN'T HAVE MUCH, READING A STORY, THINKING ABOUT THINGS, BEING CREATIVE, BEING IMAGINATIVE, HAVING HOPE, THAT'S WHAT HOPE DID FOR ME, THAT'S WHAT READING DID FOR ME WHEN I WAS A KID.

I READ ALL THOSE NANCY DREW MYSTERIES THAT WERE SO FASCINATING.

THEN I READ MY FIRST NOVEL, MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY .

I'LL NEVER FORGET THAT, JUST SO FASCINATING.

>>LORENE: AND THERE ARE WOMEN WARRIORS OUT THERE LIKE LOOK WHAT DOLLY PARTON DOES.

SHE SENDS OUT MILLIONS OF BOOKS, A NEW BOOK EVERY MONTH FOR A KID, YOU KNOW.

AND JUST THINK YOU'RE IN SOME REMOTE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WITH HER KIND OF BACKGROUND IN THE STICKS.

>>MIMI: AND IT'S ALWAYS NICE TO HAVE PEOPLE YOU KNOW, THE ALBUQUERQUE CHAMBER DOES A ALBUQUERQUE READS, IT'S GOOD TO HAVE VOLUNTEERS, BUT IT DOESN'T TEACH THEM HOW TO READ.

THEY 'VE GOT TO HAVE THAT INSTRUCTION, THAT DIRECT, EXPLICIT, SEQUENTIAL, SYSTEMATIC INSTRUCTION OF THOSE PHONEMES, THEN THE PHONICS.

YOU PUT THE PHONEMES WITH THE LETTER, CH CH CH, THAT'S THE CH, YOU PUT THE PHONEMES WITH THE PHONICS, THEN YOU READ AS MUCH AS YOU CAN, YOU GET FLUENT, AND THEN YOU START TO COMPREHEND.

AND ALL ALONG WE WORK WITH VOCABULARY AND COMPREHENSION.

>>LORENE: ONE OF MY FAVORITE PROGRAMS IS WHERE KIDS GO TO THE POUND AND READ TO DOGS.

THEY PUT THE DOG IN THEIR LAP AND THEIR READING THE BOOK, IT'S JUST SO CHARMING.

WE'RE ALMOST OUT OF TIME, I WOULD LOVE TO ASK YOU ABOUT SOME OF YOUR BILLS THIS SESSION AND THEN HAVE WHAT PEOPLE CAN DO TO BE INVOLVED.

>>MIMI: WELL, I'M TRYING NOT TO HAVE VERY MANY BILLS, I SOMETIMES HAVE TOO MANY.

>>LORENE: ONLY THE CHAIR OF THE MOST IMPORTANT COMMITTEE.

>>MIMI: AND THE ADMINISTRATIVE WORK THAT THE PRO TEM HAS TO DO.

SO I'M DOING A SYNICAL 76, WHEN WE CHANGE THE WAIVER PROCESS, WHEN WE CHANGE THE AMOUNT OF FUNDING FROM THE PUBLIC.

SO CAPITAL OUTLAY THAT WE WERE GOING TO ALLOW SCHOOLS, WE LOOSENED UP THE STRICTURES WE PUT ON AND WE MADE SURE THAT EVERY SCHOOL WOULD HAVE 30% MORE REQUEST FROM THE STATE.

BUT WHEN WE DID THAT, THE MICRO DISTRICTS LOST THEIR ABILITY FOR A WAIVER AND SO THAT JUST PUTS THAT BACK IN SO THEY CAN GET MORE FUNDING.

>>LORENE: AND SCHOOL GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS.

>>MIMI: THE SCHOOL GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS, SO LESC, THE LEGISLATIVE EDUCATION STUDY COMMITTEE, HAS WORKED ON THIS FOR YEARS.

LAST YEAR THE GOVERNOR VETOED THE BILL THAT WE OFFERED, SO NOW WE'RE WORKING WITH THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE AND THE PED AND LESC TO REDO THAT GRADUATION REQUIREMENT.

IT'S A WONDERFUL BILL BECAUSE IT ALLOWS FOR DIFFERENT THINGS TO BE COUNTED, FOUR YEARS OF MATH, FINANCIAL LITERACY CAN BE ONE OF THOSE AND EVERY SCHOOL WILL HAVE TO HAVE FINANCIAL LITERACY AS A COURSE.

WE'RE NOT GOING TO MAKE EVERY STUDENT HAVE TO TAKE IT, BUT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE IT OFFERED AND IT CAN BE PART OF THEIR MATH COURSES.

DON'T HAVE TO HAVE ALGEBRA ONE, WE HAVE AT LEAST 15 TO 20% OF OUR KIDS THAT DO GO THAT ROUTE.

BUT WE'RE ALLOWING MORE FLEXIBILITY FOR KIDS AND FOR TEACHERS WITHOUT REDUCING THE STANDARDS.

>>LORENE: ONE OTHER THING, YOU HAVE SCR 9 TO HAVE A STATE SCHOOL BOARD REPLACE THE PUBLIC EDUCATION COMMISSION.

>>MIMI: YEAH, THIS HAS BEEN AROUND FOR A WHILE.

IT'S VERY HARD IN THE EDUCATION COMMUNITY TO GO THROUGH THE INCONSISTENCIES THAT WE HAVE BETWEEN ADMINISTRATIONS.

WHAT GOVERNOR MARTINEZ AND HER SECRETARY SKANDERA ASKED WAS LIGHT YEARS DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE HAVE WITH GOVERNOR MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM.

THE EDUCATION COMMUNITY USED TO BE LESS BUFFETED BY THAT POLITICAL FOOTBALL.

AND SO THIS HAS COME ABOUT, WE PASSED IT LAST YEAR, I HOPE WE DO IT AGAIN.

>>LORENE: GOOD, GOOD.

WE'RE OUT OF TIME, I'M SORRY TO SAY.

OUR GUEST TODAY IS... >>MIMI: WE COULD TALK FOREVER.

>>LORENE: WE COULD, WE COULD, WELL, YOU'RE GOING TO COME BACK WHEN THESE BOOT CAMPS ARE IN PLACE AND WE'RE GOING TO GET AS MANY PEOPLE ENROLLED, 10,000 STUDENTS A YEAR.

WE'VE GOT THEM.

>>MIMI: WE DO, WE HAVE THAT MANY THAT ARE BEHIND AND MORE, SO WE'RE COMMITTED.

>>LORENE: IT WILL BE LIFE SAVING.

>>MIMI: TRY TO SAVE ALL THESE LIVES.

>>LORENE: YES, SO OUR GUEST TODAY IS SENATOR MIMI STEWART, THE PRESIDENT PRO TEM OF THE NEW MEXICO SENATE, DEMOCRAT FROM ALBUQUERQUE, A RETIRED EDUCATOR, BUT YOU ARE ALWAYS AN EDUCATOR.

AND I THANK YOU FOR COMING AND EDUCATING US ON THE LITERACY INSTITUTE AND ALL OF THESE OTHER PAID MEDICAL LEAVE, PAID FAMILY LEAVE.

THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU'RE DOING AND COME BACK SOON.

>>MIMI: AND THANK YOU, LORENE, FOR WHAT YOU DO, GETTING THE WORD OUT TO EVERYONE.

>>LORENE: YES, IT'S MY MISSION, BUT THANK YOU AGAIN.

AND I'M LORENE MILLS, THIS IS R EPORT FROM SANTA FE .

I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU, OUR AUDIENCE, FOR WATCHING US AND WE HOPE TO REPORT FROM SANTA FE IS MADE POSSIBLE, IN PART, BY GRANTS FROM THE NEW MEXICO MUNICIPAL LEAGUE, A BETTER NEW MEXICO THROUGH BETTER CITIES AND FROM