44th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2000

REQUESTING THE SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION TO DIRECT THE SUPERINTENDENT OF THE ALBUQUERQUE PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT AND STAFF TO MEET WITH THE SAMBRANO MONITORING COMMITTEE, PARENTS AND STUDENTS OF THE RIO GRANDE CLUSTER SCHOOLS AND RESIDENTS OF THE SOUTH VALLEY TO DEVELOP A REVISED SAMBRANO AGREEMENT.

WHEREAS, the United States department of justice entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Albuquerque public school district and parents and students of the Rio Grande cluster schools in the south valley on October 5, 1987; and

WHEREAS, the memorandum of understanding is known as the Sambrano agreement; and

WHEREAS, the living document has been used as a plan to improve the south valley schools in Bernalillo county by addressing issues of inequitable distribution of general resources, inadequacy of libraries, lack of middle school science facilities, disproportionate achievement scores, curriculum, conditions of physical plants and community involvement; and

WHEREAS, an addendum to the Sambrano agreement was signed by the Albuquerque public school district and the south valley community on August 21, 1996; and

WHEREAS, the Albuquerque public school district has made progress toward adherence to the United States department of justice's directives in the Sambrano agreement and its addendum; and

WHEREAS, the Albuquerque public school district acknowledges that the academic achievement of students in the south valley, while showing increases, has not increased to a level that is acceptable to the school district or to the families of the south valley;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the state department of public education require that the superintendent of the Albuquerque public school district and staff meet with the Sambrano monitoring committee, parents and students of the Rio Grande cluster schools, residents of the south valley and the original Sambrano agreement developers to:

A. review the district's activities toward adherence with the agreement;

B. review the successes that are occurring in the cluster schools;

C. review nationally recognized literature and models that are showing success around the state and the country; and

D. develop a new agreement based upon these reviews; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the superintendent of the Albuquerque public school district and the Sambrano monitoring committee present the new agreement to the Albuquerque board of education, the state board of education and the Rio Grande community by December 15, 2000; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the superintendent of public instruction, the superintendent of the Albuquerque public school district, representatives of the Rio Grande cluster schools and Sambrano agreement committee and addendum committee members by the superintendent of the Albuquerque public school district.