OPINION: The Roundhouse finally met the moment

I am not shy about criticizing elected officials when governing falls short. In most years, I left the legislative session feeling the urgency of the moment did not match what was produced. New Mexico’s major challenges require significant innovation, and too often, we get short-sighted incrementalism.

This year was different.

Despite being a short session, the governor and the Legislature delivered one of the most productive and future-focused sessions in recent memory. In many ways, it accomplished more in 30 days than many 60-day sessions. Significant measures like medical malpractice reform and universal child care will shape the state’s economic trajectory for decades. But just as crucial were the serious and sustained priorities for the education system.

Senate Bill 37 and Senate Bill 29 represent a strong commitment to improving education outcomes in reading and math. These bills provide clearer assessment requirements, improved parent communication and offer targeted interventions. Senate Bill 64 formalizes a state office of special education, which should provide steadied leadership when serving our most vulnerable students. And House Bill 47 just made being a teacher in New Mexico a lot more attractive by significantly reducing health insurance premiums charged to employees.

Also important was the budget bill’s correction of funding inequities that penalized high-performing schools. While there was not a permanent fix to New Mexico’s problem of refusing to tie budget to performance, significant groundwork was laid. It will take future sessions to sort out how the system can better reward high-performing schools, allowing them to serve more students.

Capital outlay decisions also signaled a shift. Instead of spreading dollars thinly across projects, investments targeted shovel-ready projects that support making the state a better place to raise a family.

Which brings us to East Mountain High School.

Our local legislators and the governor included significant investments to support the growth of our school, one of the top public schools in the state. Our public, tuition-free charter school has been offering a high-quality education for 26 years, and with state support, we are now able to expand.

Our school can serve more grade levels and more families in a region where resources are limited. Facility expansion means that students who might otherwise leave the area can now remain in a community school that prepares them for college, career and an uncertain future.

East Mountain has pioneered a “thinking classroom” approach that emphasizes deep problem solving and conceptual understanding rather than rote memorization. This model has shown significant results, particularly in mathematics. Scaling this approach can improve outcomes without sacrificing the engagement that makes learning meaningful.

The investment also supports expanded attention to social and emotional development. Students cannot perform academically if they are struggling with anxiety, isolation or trauma. Integrating mental health supports into the fabric of school life is foundational to sustained achievement.

Finally, also thanks to state funding, East Mountain is exploring innovative staffing models designed to make teaching a more sustainable and rewarding profession. In a time of nationwide teacher shortages, improving working conditions is critical. Better collaboration time, smarter use of support staff and systems that reduce burdens allow teachers to focus on what they do best: helping students grow.

These improvements represent a blueprint for what public education in New Mexico can become with well-functioning legislative and executive branches. It is now up to strong school leadership to put this framework into action. The Roundhouse is giving us the tools, and now schools need to deliver.

As our school expands, we are ready to be part of the solution and part of an education system that the families of New Mexico can be proud of.

Trey Smith is the executive director of East Mountain High School. A recent doctoral graduate, he also works to champion meaningful education policy reform.