Democrats’ school bills rejected

SANTA FE — Republican Gov. Susana Martinez has vetoed several public school proposals by Democrats in the Legislature, including ones attempting to unravel administration education policies.
Martinez criticized the measures Friday in a veto message, saying they “represent a misguided effort to protect and defend a status quo that has failed our kids.”
Among the vetoed proposals were ones to:
— Create groups to recommend changes to a Martinez-backed system for A-to-F grades for schools and overhaul the administration’s teacher evaluation plan tied to student performance on standardized tests.
— Prohibit charter public schools from contracting with private for-profit companies to administer classes. Public Education Secretary Hanna Skandera has drawn criticism for allowing a new all-online charter school, which plans to use an out-of-state company for its course offerings.