Brian's Education and Jobs Training Plan

Brian knows that to bring good jobs to New Mexico, we need a capable and educated work force, and that starts with putting our public schools first. To do this, Brian proposes an education and training plan that prepares our children for the jobs of tomorrow, while creating the necessary learning and training opportunities for the many New Mexico workers who are facing a challenging economy today.

Brian is a New Mexico public school success story. At an early age he worked weekends at his family’s flea market in Bosque Farms, became the first person in his family to go to college, and put himself through law school at UNM. He knows, from first-hand experience, that getting what you need to make your way in this world is more than just about schools, teachers and parents, it is about a community.

Brian’s wife, Aleli, is an ESL-trained middle school teacher. His son, Rafael, attended Longfellow Elementary School, and has thrived in a Bilingual immersion program. Both are part of the public school system.

Helping New Mexicans Reach their Potential – The Colón Education and Training Plan

Brian has proposed the following plan to help protect our schools and get New Mexico working:

Put our Children and Schools First. Brian is committed to ensuring that our schools retain the most competent and qualified professionals. New Mexico educators, their teams, and our school facilities should be of the highest caliber. If we are going to attract the best and the brightest, that will require us to:

• Fund our public schools to the fullest, and protect them from future cuts
• Reduce class sizes in order to keep up with classroom needs
• Close the achievement gap in New Mexico by expanding and funding early childhood education programs like preschool / Pre-K
• Reduce dropout rates by giving our schools the necessary resources to ensure that every child has the opportunity to graduate
• Increase compensation for teachers, teaching assistants, counselors, and support staff
•  Create a special state tax credit for new teachers in rural areas, so our smaller schools have the staff they need to be successful

Hold Schools, Teachers, Parents, and Students Accountable for Performance. Additional funding, alone, will not help our schools get better. We must hold our schools accountable for increased performance, strengthen the effectiveness of our teachers, and provide avenues for parents and the community to get involved in our children’s education.

As Lt. Governor, Brian Colón will:

• Establish partnerships among community leaders, parents, teachers and professional educators to ensure our schools are meeting realistic standards and have the resources they need to be successful
• Support continued licensure standards and professional development for our teachers
• Advocate for legislation to strengthen a school’s capability to establish programs for increased parental involvement so that families and teachers are working towards the same goals
• Improve nutritional eating options in our schools to ensure the overall well-being of New Mexico’s children

Give More New Mexicans an Opportunity for Good Paying Jobs. Every New Mexico child should have a high school diploma, but we also have an obligation to make sure that these high school graduates have the skills they need to get good-paying jobs. We need to create options for those New Mexicans who choose not to attend a four-year college to be successful in the workplace.

Once in Santa Fe, Brian will:

• Establish partnerships among business owners, local community colleges and vocational training schools so that local curriculums match what employers need. That way, upon graduation, students can fill the job positions that employers are offering.
• Create curriculums and programs at our schools that provide short and intensive training options for adults who want to better their lives, and the lives of their families, during these difficult economic times.
• Create a 2011 tax credit for any adult who has to go back to school. Balancing a home life with the financial stresses of going back to school and changing jobs is hard. Brian will work to make that transition easier by lessening the financial burden associated with this new economy.
• Make more investments in “retraining” programs to give laid-off and lower-skilled workers new skills. This provides better opportunities for a greater number of New Mexicans and leads to a stronger, more robust economy.

Put a Priority on Training for the Green Jobs of Tomorrow. Despite the economic downturn, many jobs in the renewable or “green” industries are available now or could be brought to New Mexico, but we lack the trained workers to fill the positions. Brian knows that now is the time to invest in our people so they are prepared for these jobs.

• Brian supports the enhancement of school curriculums and teaching skills in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) to position New Mexico as an attractive location for the next generation of high-tech and green-friendly employers.
• Brian also supports training for today’s workers in the specific skills that will not only attract green businesses from other states, but also help support entrepreneurship for green businesses to develop here in New Mexico.

As Lieutenant Governor, Brian will value stakeholder input and is committed to bringing all people together.

A printable version of Brian's Education and Jobs Training Plan can be found, here.