New Mexico’s K-12 students will see a greater focus on race and ethnicity, including Native American history, in their curriculum over the next two years under new standards aimed at making social studies teaching more culturally responsive.
The New Mexico Public Education Department recently finalized the changes following months of debate that included pushback from parents worried their kids would be labeled racist. The standards don't mandate specific lessons or textbooks but will require school districts to increase their focus on social identities and understanding the world through the lens of race, class and privilege.
