Mr Madrid, I am writing this as a follow up with my letter from a month ago. I am glad to hear that you are on the education committee. The performance of our students is more than alarming- it is catastrophic. Our national ranking for academic achievement compared with other industrialized first world nations is pathetic, as you know. Yet when we as a nation are not even in the top twenty worldwide we still have to face the fact that New Mexico ranks last among the states educationally in most comparisons. I was the veterinarian in Anthony for 35 years and served Chaparral that entire time. In the 1990’s I worked with the intermediate and middle schools as a volunteer presenting programs on how to study during the morning work period. At the end of my involvement I had the opportunity to review the performance of the schools on the state achievement tests. The schools that I coached delivered higher scores than others in the district. A little work can make a big effect. But, we need to do the right work. I would be more than willing to meet with you and discuss this matter if you want. Also, I am a member of the group , Coalition of Conservatives in Action, and we would welcome your input if you would join us for a meeting as a speaker. We meet every Thursday at 6:00 if you would like to be our program one week. We are not right wing activists but rather moderate conservatives that believe that the political parties are focused on their own agendas rather than the long term good for our communities, our states, and our nation. Too many Democrats that I know say that the party has left them behind. When people on either side of the aisle are saying that, we have a problem in representation. We would like to know your position, especially since education of our future generations is critical to our society. In closing, I would recommend a documentary titled “ Waiting for Superman” available on YouTube regarding the situation in our schools. I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely Jody Kincaid DVM ND
