The Senate Public Affairs Committee this week to hold back third-graders who do not perform well on a standardized reading test. The bill to end so-called social promotion failed on a party line vote.
Sen. Mimi Stewart, a Democrat from Albuquerque who opposed the bill, said thousands of third-graders would have been held back every year, regardless of their progress in subjects other than reading.
鈥淲e鈥檙e just saying from the state you will flunk these eight-year-olds if they don鈥檛 get to a certain level on this high stakes test,鈥� Stewart said. 鈥淭hat just doesn鈥檛 work for us.鈥�
Governor Susana Martinez has been of mandatory third grade retention ever since she took office and has promised to reform education in New Mexico.
A passed in the state House last week, but will likely fail in the Democratic-controlled Senate.
