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LOS RANCHOS DE ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A plan aimed at expanding early childhood education in New Mexico amid a stalemate over funding was unveiled Thursday by a national teachers union and other preschool advocates.
Supporters believe the plan developed by Montessori school owners would pressure lawmakers to put the expansion plan before voters, American Federation of Teachers national president Randi Weingarten said at Los Ranchos De Albuquerque preschool.
"New Mexico sits ... in 49th place in terms of child well-being," said Weingarten, who came from Washington, D.C., to make the announcement. "One would think a governor and Children, Youth and Families (Department) would want to address it."
Weingarten joined Democratic state Senate Majority Whip Michael Padilla to discuss the plan at Los Ranchos De Albuquerque preschool.
Under the proposal sponsored by a coalition of groups, a revamped early education program in the state would include a substitute educator pool, paid sick leave trust fund and professional development program.
The proposal also seeks to create a statewide database for preschools to conduct background checks for potential employees.
Padilla said the proposal should help convince lawmakers that a disputed plan to tap the state's permanent land fund for $175 million a year to expand preschool needs to go before voters.
"This gives us more support and more energy," Padilla said.
The proposal came as proponents of expanding early childhood education have clashed with some state lawmakers over using the permanent land fund to finance expansion. The idea has also faced resistance from moderate Democratic lawmakers who did not want to touch the fund amid general economic uncertainty.
Chris Sanchez, a spokesman for Gov. Susana Martinez, said the Republican governor has increased education funding and doubled the number of students enrolled in preschools since taking office.
"It's remarkable that a special interest group would fly in its top brass from Washington, D.C., to lecture New Mexicans on how to educate their children," Sanchez said. "We need to embrace reform here at home, and it starts with ending the failed policy of social promotion, which passes our children onto the next grade even when they cannot read."
Statistics released earlier this year by the U.S. Education Department show around 40 percent of 4-year-olds were enrolled in publicly funded pre-kindergarten programs in New Mexico during the 2012-13 school year.
That's in line with the national average, and New Mexico is actually ahead of neighboring Colorado and Arizona.
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