SENATE MEMORIAL 26

53rd legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2018

INTRODUCED BY

Mimi Stewart

FOR THE LEGISLATIVE EDUCATION STUDY COMMITTEE

A MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE LEGISLATIVE EDUCATION STUDY COMMITTEE, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE PUBLIC EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, TO FORM A VIRTUAL CHARTER SCHOOL WORK GROUP.

     WHEREAS, virtual education provides an opportunity for increased flexibility to plan learning experiences around unique schedules and to address the individual needs of students; and

     WHEREAS, virtual education provides a self-paced, personalized learning experience where students work toward mastery at their own pace; and

     WHEREAS, virtual education provides an opportunity to support blended learning environments where traditional, in-person teaching and learning are supported by virtual content and instruction; and

     WHEREAS, New Mexico law remains silent regarding the funding, governance and accountability of virtual charter schools, and at least two full-time virtual charter schools will be in operation in fiscal year 2019; and

     WHEREAS, virtual charter school enrollment in New Mexico has more than quadrupled since 2012, and virtual charter schools have the potential to enroll students from any local school district in the state; and

     WHEREAS, the average fourth through eighth grade virtual charter school student in New Mexico generally experienced the equivalent of between ninety-one and one hundred sixty-one fewer days of learning than the average brick-and-mortar school student from fiscal year 2015 to fiscal year 2016, and virtual charter school students who changed schools between fiscal year 2015 and fiscal year 2016 experienced the equivalent of approximately fifty fewer days of learning than virtual charter school students who did not change schools; and

     WHEREAS, the public school funding formula and other education funding mechanisms treat virtual charter schools identically to brick-and-mortar schools, despite spending about one-third of the amount on instructional staff per student compared with brick-and-mortar schools and one-fourth of the amount per student spent on plant operations and maintenance; and

     WHEREAS, virtual charter schools paid more than fifty percent of their combined fifteen-million-dollar ($15,000,000) budgets to two out-of-state for-profit entities in fiscal year 2018, and virtual charter schools lack oversight when making and executing contracts; and

     WHEREAS, New Mexico is the fifth-largest state in the country by area and comprises many rural communities, and virtual education may provide additional opportunities and choice for students and families throughout the state;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the legislative education study committee, in consultation with the public education department, be requested to convene a virtual charter school work group to meet during the 2018 interim to:

          A. identify best practices from high-performing virtual charter schools;

          B. research innovative virtual charter school models and how those models affect student and school performance;

          C. identify best practices from authorizers of virtual charter schools;

          D. provide recommendations regarding how to address funding for virtual charter schools;

          E. provide recommendations regarding how to define virtual charter schools in law; and

          F. provide other findings and recommendations identified as necessary by the work group; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the virtual charter school work group consist of a representative from the New Mexico coalition for charter schools; a representative from a national organization that focuses on charter school best practices; a representative from the public education department; a representative from a local chartering authority; a member of the public education commission; a superintendent of a school district running its own virtual education program; a superintendent of a school district overseeing a virtual charter school; and a current and former teacher of a virtual charter school or virtual education program; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the virtual charter school work group present its findings and recommendations to the legislative education study committee no later than December 1, 2018; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the legislative education study committee, the legislative finance committee and the public education department for appropriate distribution.

- 4 -