Fully 82% of New Mexico residents believe parents need more free public school choices in their community, and nearly three in four support New Mexico continuing to develop and open more public charter schools in the state.
That’s according to a new statewide survey of New Mexicans that was conducted by Research & Polling Inc. and commissioned by the Chamber and several partner organizations working to ensure every New Mexico child is able to receive a high-quality education in a public school.
Support for developing more public charter school options is strong across the political spectrum and across the state. Nearly seven of every 10 Democrats and eight of every 10 Independents and Republicans agree the state should continue to develop and open more public charter schools in the state. Regionally, support is highest in Las Cruces/Southwest New Mexico (82%), the Albuquerque Metro area (75%), and Eastern New Mexico (75%). Support remains strong in the Northwest (69%) and North Central New Mexico (63%) as well.
“Our state’s charter schools are laboratories, trying innovative approaches to both instruction and student and family support,” said Chamber President and CEO Terri Cole. “When a charter school proves itself and helps its students achieve more, we should absolutely encourage it to expand. And, we should open new charter schools to enable more students to find the best fit for them – without having to wait for years on a waitlist.”
Across the state, public charter schools that get impressive academic results for kids – especially low-income and students of color – have long waiting lists for just a few available seats each year. Thousands of parents want their children to attend these successful public charter schools, but there simply isn’t room for them.
Unsurprisingly, parents of school-age children are among the most supportive of public charter schools. Seventy-seven percent want New Mexico to develop and open more public charter schools, and 76% believe charter schools improve public education.
“For so many of our community’s families, a public charter school meets a student’s or a family’s needs in a way that just makes sense for them. A great education opens doors to opportunity and success in life; it unlocks our kids’ potential,” said Del Archuleta, the Chamber’s Education BIG Chair and Molzen Corbin’s Chairman of the Board. “It all starts with a great education, and New Mexico urgently needs more students to be able to access that.”
The survey also found strong opposition to past proposals that would freeze the opening or expansion of charter schools. In particular, nearly three in four Albuquerque Metro area residents would oppose a policy stopping the opening of new public charter schools, with nearly half of the surveyed residents (49%) saying they would strongly oppose such a policy. Just 12% of the area’s residents said they would support such a policy.
Charter schools are public schools that are free to attend and open to anyone. Expanding access to them is part of the Chamber’s overall portfolio of work to improve public education, one of the top three policy areas we work on.
Pollsters interviewed 517 New Mexicans in October, and the poll has a margin of error of 4%. The survey was commissioned by NewMexicoKidsCAN, the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, Public Charter Schools of New Mexico, Excellent Schools New Mexico, the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce and Teach Plus New Mexico.
