This Week: Representatives STEPHANIE GARCIA RICHARD (D-District 43) & DENNIS ROCH (R-District 67)

Topics -- Crucial Education Issues:· Teacher Evaluations· Charter Schools· Status Of K-12 Funding

QUOTES:“The concern has come from superintendents and school boards around the state who look at the $215 million dollars of new education funding we have spent since 2008, half of which has gone to charter schools...So charter schools educate roughly 7% of the student population, but they have taken half of the new money since 2008. And it is a question of, is this intended or was this sort of an accident of the formula? -- Rep. Roch

“We find ourselves in these rough economic times and unfortunately schools are 48% -- K-12 by itself is 48% of our state’s budget, which is $2.6 billion dollars. So that is why it seems to folks to be a very evident place to look for money-saving measures. Unfortunately, what our schools have experienced now is two cuts within the same fiscal year. So…(in) the FY18 fiscal year, we need to really understand that schools are already coming from this place of deficit.” -- Rep. Garcia Richard

February 9, 2017 -- This week's guests on REPORT FROM SANTA FE are Representatives Stephanie Garcia Richard (D-District 43) and Dennis Roch (R-District 67) discussing the crucial education issues of teacher evaluations, charter schools, the status of K-12 funding, and other hot topics.

Rep. DENNIS ROCH has served in the New Mexico House of Representatives since 2009. He is an educator who lives in Logan, NM. A Republican, he represents District 67, consisting of seven counties - Colfax, Curry, Harding, Quay, Roosevelt, San Miguel, and Union. Roch is the former chair of the House Education Committee.

Rep. STEPHANIE GARCIA RICHARD has served in the NM House of Representatives since 2013. She is a teacher and educator who lives in Los Alamos, NM. A Democrat, she represents District 43, which includes parts of Los Alamos, Santa Fe, Sandoval, and Rio Arriba Counties. Garcia Richard chairs the House Education Committee.