ALBUQUERQUE, NM — New Mexico’s education system is failing students—and families are being left in the dark. New Mexico ranks among the lowest in the nation for education outcomes.
As frustration grows over plummeting literary scores, lack of transparency, and ideological agendas in classrooms—even among children as young as kindergarten—parents across the state are speaking out and taking action.
Today, Independent Women announced the launch of a statewide television and OTT/CTV ad campaign and grassroots letter petition to expose what’s happening inside New Mexico schools and demand accountability and change from state leaders.
The ads aired across the Albuquerque-Santa Fe media market, including major local news broadcasts and national cable placements, bringing this message directly into homes of New Mexicans.
The campaign’s message is simple: New Mexico’s classrooms are in crisis—and our kids are paying the price.
The campaign features New Mexico native and mother Erica Ramirez, an Independent Women’s Network member and leader of the New Mexico Voices Las Cruces chapter, alongside a New Mexico educator whistleblower who says teachers are being required to socially transition students as young as five without parental knowledge. In the ad, the whistleblower calls New Mexico a “transgender sanctuary state.”
Watch Independent Women’s New Mexico Ad here. Arek
“All ladies, young and old, we are the heart of New Mexico. We are the heart in our homes and our communities,” states Ramirez in the ad. “It’s time to stand up and defend and protect our traditions and our values as New Mexicans.”
New Mexico law states: “A public body or an entity or individual acting on behalf of or within the scope of the authority of a public body shall not deny, restrict or interfere with a person’s ability to access or provide reproductive health care or gender-affirming health care within the medical standard of care.”
In an exclusive to the Center Square, Neeraja Deshpande, policy analyst at Independent Women said, “In New Mexico, students who can’t read at grade level are being passed onto the next grade anyway, chronic absenteeism is being ignored, poorly behaved students are allowed to disrupt classroom learning without consequence, and parents are being shut out of major decisions about their own children.”
Independent Women’s petition lays out a clear call to action for New Mexico residents:
- Protect parental rights and transparency in schools
- End ideological indoctrination in education
“Parents should be the primary decision-makers in their children’s lives,” the petition letter states. “Let’s return schools to teaching and academic excellence—not pushing ideology and indoctrination.”
Thousands of New Mexicans have already signed their name to the letter. That number continues to grow.
At the heart of Independent Women’s work are firsthand accounts from those inside of New Mexico. Their stories reflect lived experiences of families navigating an education system that has lost focus on its core mission.
Earlier this year, Independent Women’s Features, the grassroots storytelling and investigative journalism division of Independent Women, released the documentary: “The Hidden Crisis in New Mexico’s Classrooms”, exposing what one veteran educator calls a “full-scale collapse” inside New Mexico’s public school system.
In an effort to foster solutions to address these challenges, Independent Women released the report “Give Teachers A Break: Cutting Red Tape to Unleash the Potential of America’s Great Teachers” outlining practical reforms to reduce the bureaucracy that prevents good teachers from doing their jobs.
The report discusses:
- Why the nation is losing its most effective teachers;
- How misguided policies—not educators—are sabotaging student success; and
- Practical, common-sense reforms to restore order, trust, and excellence in our classrooms.
If you or someone you know has a story from or in New Mexico that would be of interest to Independent Women, visit iwfeatures.com/share-your-story/ .
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