There’s been a lot of turnover at the top of New Mexico’s Public Education Department, but Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham calls her new appointee the “taskmaster” the job requires.
In a press conference earlier this week at the state capitol, the governor introduced Mariana Padilla as the fifth secretary of the PED since the Lujan Grisham administration began nearly six years ago.
Padilla, who began her career as an elementary school teacher, has served as director of the New Mexico Children’s Cabinet and senior education policy advisor since the governor took office.
One of the keys to Padilla’s future success, according to the governor, is what she called “parallell accountability” on the state and local level. Padilla said that she would make sure PED is providing schools with what they need to be successful while ensuring that the school are responding accordingly.
“On the school side, we need accountability," said Padilla.
"Starting from school boards on down, that they're making decisions at the local level to have the biggest impact on students. We know the things that work, but we have to have the courage to do it, and we have to be accountable to our students and to our families.”
Padilla said she would lean hard on data collecting and analysis to ensure that schools begin improving in key areas, including chronic absenteeism, literacy, and ensuring high standards of education, especially in underserved communities.
Gov. Lujan Grisham talked about the impact of new summer programs that help students stay engaged with learning throughout the school year, and that she’ll look to Padilla to foster more growth in that area.
Padilla’s children attend schools and have underscored her sense that the interaction between families and the education system is critical.
“I'm in the schools every day as a parent," said Padilla.
"I'm doing homework every day with my three kids. I'm sending those emails. I'm checking the online platforms. I'm attending those parent-teacher conferences.
"One of the things that I really want to focus on in my role is, 'How are we serving parents in education? How are we listening to them?' It is incredibly important. Parents need to feel welcome. They need to know what they need to do. They need to have confidence in their schools.”
Padilla replaces Arsenio Romero, who gave his notice as PED secretary in late August.
