New Mexico Rising

Benjamin Barlow, Principal of North Star Elementary School, joins us to discuss improving student achievement, the role of school culture in student success, and what it takes to serve students from across Albuquerque. We also discuss Principal Barlow’s experience as a former principal and teacher in Mississippi and how his firsthand experience with the Mississippi Marathon informs his work and his belief in what’s possible for education in New Mexico.To learn more about the Mississippi Marathon, listen to these episodes of New Mexico Rising:Semester 4, Episode 1: The Mississippi Miracle (with Erika Huffman)Semester 5, Episode 7: Community Voices: Reflections on the Mississippi Marathon

On this episode, we welcome back NewMexicoKidsCAN Advocacy Manager, Dominica Chavez, as co-host to break down New Mexico’s latest statewide assessment results. Together, Amanda and Dominica unpack student performance in reading and math, highlight areas of progress, and discuss the work that remains to ensure every New Mexico student is reading and doing math on grade level.To learn more about the 2025–2026 statewide assessment results, visit nmvistas.org to explore state, district, and school performance. Visit nmkidscan.org to sign up for emails from NewMexicoKidsCAN and stay up to date on the latest education news and data in New Mexico.

David Diller, Co-Chair of the Changemakers Alumni Spark Change Awards, joins Amanda to discuss the Spark Change Awards, the Spring 2026 award recipients, and why celebrating their success matters. An initiative of Changemakers Alumni, the Spark Change Awards recognize New Mexico schools that are the highest-performing or fastest-improving in reading and math for Yazzie Martinez students. Tune in to hear more about this year’s recipients and how they are demonstrating that improved student outcomes are possible for all students.Read the 2026 Spark Change Awards Press Release: HEREView the 2026 Spark Change Awards Program One-Pager: HERELearn more about Changemakers New Mexico at nmchangemakers.org and connect with Changemakers on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

On this episode, we welcome Dominica Chavez, NewMexicoKidsCAN Advocacy Manager, as a co-host to discuss some of the biggest education stories happening in New Mexico! Together, Amanda and Dominica discuss New Mexico ranking 50th in education for the 10th year in a row by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, marking a decade of last place, a new Legislative Finance Committee report on extended learning and student achievement, and back-to-school tips for families.Download NewMexicoKidsCAN’s Back-to-School Toolkit here.Read the Legislative Finance Committee Progress Report here.Explore the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s 2026 KIDS COUNT Data Book here

Have you heard of the Mississippi Miracle? The Mississippi Miracle refers to the dramatic gains Mississippi has made in K-12 literacy outcomes since 2013. Through strategic policy implementation focused on evidence-based literacy instruction, Mississippi rose from49th in 4th-grade reading to 9th in 2024! Once ranked near the bottom alongside New Mexico, Mississippi's approach has become a national model for educational reform.Recently, the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce hosted Carey Wright, former Mississippi State Superintendent and architect for the Mississippi Miracle (or Mississippi Marathon as she calls it) for a luncheon. Guests heard all about how Mississippi accomplished this incredible feat.In this episode, Dominica and Amanda recap the event and we try something new! After Amanda and Dominica recap Dr. Wright’s remarks we share reflections from other attendees to hear their takeaways. Tune and let us know what you think!