SENATE MEMORIAL 30

47th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2006

INTRODUCED BY

James G. Taylor

A MEMORIAL

RECOGNIZING FEBRUARY 10, 2006 AS "ENLACE DAY".

     WHEREAS, the state of New Mexico is committed to providing access to quality education for all New Mexico students from pre-kindergarten to higher education; and

     WHEREAS, Latinos and Hispanics comprise fifty-three percent of New Mexico's K-12 student population and nearly fifty percent of the student body at New Mexico colleges and universities; and

     WHEREAS, a high Latino and Hispanic student high school dropout rate of forty-four percent and an average undergraduate non-completion rate of fifty percent results in an achievement gap and considerable economic and social costs to the state; and

     WHEREAS, over the past four years, Engaging Latino Communities for Education (ENLACE) New Mexico has established community partnerships, including institutions in the education pathway in law and medicine; and

     WHEREAS, ENLACE New Mexico believes in inclusivity; that a Latino-focused educational initiative will create a world-class educational system for all students; and

     WHEREAS, remaining responsive and responsible to students, parents and communities is imperative to students' educational success; and

     WHEREAS, the work of ENLACE recognizes, validates and embraces the core cultural values of its stakeholders, the strength of familia, the bonds of comunidad, and the mutuality of respeto; and

     WHEREAS, bottom-up change is needed in this state with students, parents and communities themselves defining the programmatic and policy issues necessary to effect systemic change; and

     WHEREAS, elected officials throughout the state have united in a bipartisan effort to support the continuation and expansion of the ENLACE New Mexico mission;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that February 10, 2006 be recognized as "ENLACE Day"; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to local chapters of ENLACE statewide.