Memo Regarding District-and Charter-Level Superintendent’s/Executive Director’s Equity Councils & the Martinez and Yazzie Consolidated Lawsuit
Summary
AI-generated summaryA November 22, 2019 memorandum from New Mexico Public Education Department Deputy Secretary Kara Bobroff gives district and charter school leaders guidance on forming Superintendent’s/Executive Director’s Equity Councils. The memo says the councils are intended to help inform local actions related to the Martinez and Yazzie consolidated lawsuit.
Page 1 · source excerpt
The purpose of this Memorandum is to provide guidance to school districts and charter schools on the establishment and work of equity councilsOpen page 1
Page 1 · source excerpt
equity councils will help inform the districts’ and charter schools’ actions in response to the Martinez and Yazzie consolidated lawsuitOpen page 1
The memo sets council membership requirements and several 2020 goals, including completing a readiness assessment, creating an equity plan and culturally and linguistically responsive framework, and reporting on funding and its uses. It also announces webinars and directs school leaders to NMPED for further information.
Page 2 · source excerpt
By February 3, 2020, the completion of the required Martinez/Yazzie Readiness Assessment.Open page 2
Page 2 · source excerpt
By April 1, 2020, based on the completed Martinez/Yazzie Readiness Assessment, the creation of a district- or charter-level Equity PlanOpen page 2
Page 2 · source excerpt
By July 15, 2020, a report describing the school district’s or charter school’s system for, and tracking of, funding and uses of fundingOpen page 2
Key points
Councils may have no more than 15 members and are to include representatives of school leadership and staff, students, families, community members, and Nations, Tribes or Pueblos.
Page 2 · source excerpt
membership shall include representatives of the school district or charter school leadership, school staff, students, parents and family members, community members, and members of Nations, Tribes or Pueblos.
Open page 2At least half of council membership must represent the student groups named in the memo. For schools serving a significant Native American student population, the memo calls for at least one council member from each Nation, Tribe or Pueblo represented in that population.
Page 2 · source excerpt
At least half of the total membership must represent the student groups identified in the Court’s ruling in the Martinez/Yazzie case
Open page 2Page 2 · source excerpt
the Superintendent’s/Executive Director’s Equity Council shall include at least one member from each Nation, Tribe or Pueblo represented in that population.
Open page 2The memo says school districts and charter schools must use a fair and transparent member-selection process and post an explanation of it and the selected members’ names by December 20, 2019.
Page 2 · source excerpt
shall post an explanation of that process on the school district’s or charter school’s website by December 20, 2019, along with the names of the selected council members.
Open page 2The listed council goals include creating and implementing a culturally and linguistically responsive framework by June 30, 2020, and seeking additional NMPED guidance as needed.
Page 2 · source excerpt
by June 30, 2020, the creation and implementation of a culturally and linguistically responsive (CLR) framework for schools
Open page 2
Questions to follow
- How did districts and charter schools explain their council-selection processes and identify selected members?
- What guidance or templates did NMPED later provide to support councils in meeting the listed goals?
- How did councils use the readiness assessment to develop their equity plans?
Generated Oct 21, 2026 · Citations refer to the saved original · Text extracted with OCR.
Original source: New Mexico Public Education Department
Help keep this archive accurate
Found an error or missing context? Send a private report to the review inbox. Reports do not automatically change or remove public content.
Commentary
AI-generated analysisThe memo lays out multiple milestones within the 2019–2020 school year and says templates and further information would be provided later. This could make the timing and availability of those materials relevant to how councils plan their work; the memo alone does not establish how the timelines or guidance were carried out.
Page 2 · source excerpt
Open page 2Page 2 · source excerpt
Open page 2