The present and future of education in New Mexico met up this week at the Downtown Embassy Suites.
The ninth Educators Rising State Conference brought together hundreds of students who are either considering becoming educators or have already committed to that path, along with their advisers, known as teacher leaders, from across the state.
The two-day conference, which concluded Friday, allowed students to network, learn about educational opportunities and elect statewide officers.
Educators Rising is an organization dedicated to growing the field by introducing middle and high school students to careers in education early.
More than 230 students participated in a competition showing off skills related to being teachers, such as lesson planning, public speaking and creating interactive bulletin boards.
Two stand-out categories are writing children’s literature and “educators rising moments.”
Dr. Christine Reyes, the organization’s state director, said the latter are personal stories from the students about the moments they decided to become teachers.
Winners will compete against the best from around the country at the nationals, which start June 28 in Washington, D.C.
Several colleges and universities were present to discuss their education programs with the students and answer their questions.
The teaching gap
A National Center for Education Statistics survey reported in October 2023 by USA Today states that 86 % of the country’s public school districts struggled to fill teacher vacancies for the current school year.
According to the 2023 New Mexico Educator Vacancy Report, there were 751 teacher vacancies in the state last year, up about 8.8% from 2022, but below the 1,048 vacancies in the 2021 report. According to its website, Albuquerque Public Schools has 165 teaching vacancies, 144 of which are in special education.
The Golden Apple Scholars Program is trying to fight that shortage by offering various forms of assistance to aspiring teachers, said Julie Lucero, the New Mexico Chief Program Officer. Those include stipends that increase each year one teaches in the state and ongoing opportunities for professional development.
She said scholars in Illinois have seen an 85% 10-year retention rate. The first Golden Apple Scholars in New Mexico will graduate in May and start in the classroom in August.
Lucero said there are 85 students in the program now, and 370 have applied to be included this year. She said she’s hoping to see New Mexico results similar to those in Illinois.
“Our goal is to see every student in New Mexico with a quality teacher,” Lucero said.
At Ruidoso High School, Educators Rising students get early classroom experience, said teacher leader Sarah Ames Brown; each of the 24 who came to the conference have already spent a semester tutoring elementary children.
Ames Brown said it’s important that New Mexico find teachers within its borders, because it’s more difficult for outsiders to readily understand the state’s tricultural nature.
Ruidoso sophomore Brooklyn Rodgers said she’s exploring education as a possible career. She said the conference was beneficial in the amount of information that was available and that she was able to make friends with students from other schools.
Daniela Castro, a junior at Ruidoso High, said she’s decided to become an educator in part because she’s experienced some who were rude and mean and she wanted to be a different type of teacher for future students.
Castro said she wants to be a third-grade teacher specializing in bilingual education.
Savannah Dovenbarger, an elementary education major at New Mexico State University, said that she became certain she wanted to be a teacher after starting a job in an after school program. She said she’s excited about helping to shape the future.
“We raise everybody,” Dovenbarger said. “Future lawyers, future doctors; there could even be a future president.”