SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A bill that calls for New Mexico third graders who don't show proficiency in reading to be held back has stalled in a Democratic-controlled Senate committee.
The Senate Education Committee voted Monday to table a proposal that would have had students not reading at grade level repeat the third grade and be given intensive remediation. The move likely kills the bill this session.
Rep. Monica Youngblood, an Albuquerque Republican, reintroduced the Gov. Susana Martinez-back bill that passed the GOP-controlled House last session but failed after the Democratic-led Senate failed to take it up.
But it faced strong opposition from teachers unions and Democrats who have stopped similar legislation in the past. Democratic Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez has said student retention should be based on teachers' assessments, not test scores.