Will New Mexico teachers unions flex their might in 2019 session?
When Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced after the election she was building a transition team to help gather data and create strategies for reforming the state’s public education system, it was perhaps no surprise that five of the roughly 30 members of the group represented teachers unions.
That didn’t come as much of a surprise to many observers: Teachers unions have aligned themselves with Democratic Party candidates and leaders for many years. They endorsed Lujan Grisham in the 2018 election — just as they had backed Democrat Gary King in 2014 against then-Gov. Susana Martinez.
The teachers unions also were major contributors to Lujan Grisham’s campaign.
Now, as Lujan Grisham embarks on a 60-day legislative session in which the future of New Mexico’s educational system will be a central topic, the power of the unions is a looming question. Will their power be on full display in 2019 and beyond, or are they simply moving back into the picture after eight years of often-bitter battles with the Martinez administration?
Read more: http://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/education/will-new-mexico-teachers-unions-flex-their-might-in-session/article_fd20808a-9cd3-5b09-9d58-87a4630b66a3.html