Item 3 .1 - LESC Brief; Martinez-Yazzie Update
Summary
AI-generated summaryThe brief says the court found the state in violation of its constitutional obligations in 2019 and, in May 2025, determined that the state and PED remained out of compliance. It ordered PED to develop a comprehensive remedial action plan.
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In 2019, the court found the state was in violation of its constitutional obligationsOpen page 1
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In May 2025, the court determined the state and the Public Education Department (PED) remained out of complianceOpen page 1
PED submitted its final plan in November 2025. Plaintiffs later objected and requested further relief, arguing that the plan lacks details needed to remedy the violations. PED defended its plan. The brief says the case is fully briefed and awaits the court’s evaluation.
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PED filed a response opposing plaintiffs’ motion for further relief and defending the adequacy of its submitted plan.Open page 3
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the matter is now fully briefed and the court is expected to evaluate whether the current plan satisfies constitutional requirementsOpen page 4
Key points
PED says its plan addresses five areas, including instruction, educator access, student support services, funding, and accountability systems.
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3. Academic, social, and behavioral support services; 4. Fair and effective funding to meet student needs; and 5. Data and accountability systems to drive continuous improvement.
Open page 2Plaintiffs argue the plan is not a true remedial plan and lacks measurable goals, timelines, benchmarks, implementation details, and a clear funding strategy.
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plaintiffs argue the submission is not a true remedial plan, but rather a collection of ongoing initiatives and aspirational goals
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Failure to include cost estimates or a clear funding strategy to support proposed reforms.
Open page 2PED argues it followed the court’s process and says the court should address specific disputes rather than require a complete rewrite of the plan.
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PED argues it complied with the c ourt’s May 2025 order by developing the plan
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the remedy would be to incorporate language Plaintiffs believe is missing or to strike any inappropriate language but not to throw out the plan in its entirety.
Open page 3Plaintiffs’ requested revisions include specific actions, a five- to seven-year timeline, responsible parties, and measurable outcomes and evaluation metrics.
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A five- to seven-year implementation timeline including annual and quarterly benchmarks;
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Measurable short- and long-term outcomes and evaluation metrics that allow for compliance monitoring.
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Questions to follow
- What aspects of PED’s plan will the court focus on when evaluating whether it satisfies the requirements described in the brief?
- How will the court address the parties’ differing views about whether the plan needs revision?
Generated Oct 21, 2026 · Citations refer to the saved original.
Original source: Legislative Education Study Committee
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Commentary
AI-generated analysisThe brief presents a disagreement about both the plan’s substance and the process used to create it: PED emphasizes its development process, while plaintiffs argue that following the process does not establish that the plan will address the alleged deficiencies. The brief does not report a court resolution of that disagreement.
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Open page 3The court’s evaluation could clarify whether it considers the submitted plan sufficient or whether additional relief is warranted; the brief describes these as matters still before the court, not as a decided outcome.
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