New Mexico is one of the most linguistically diverse states in the country, with more than a third of residents speaking a language other than English at home. This diversity is an incredible asset that can help our students succeed. However, despite this richness of languages, cultures, and traditions, our education system has not kept pace with the bilingual education services that students are entitled to under state law.
Right now, nearly 17% of students in New Mexico are English Language Learners (ELL), and about 10% speak an Indigenous language at home. Around 12% of students come from immigrant families. These students contribute to the state’s cultural and linguistic fabric, yet their needs are too often overlooked in an education system that has not fully embraced bilingual and multilingual learning.
Research shows that bilingual education is one of the most effective ways to improve literacy, academic performance, and graduation rates for ELL students. Bilingualism fosters cognitive flexibility, enhances problem-solving skills, and better prepares students for an increasingly global workforce. However, despite the clear benefits, New Mexico continues to face a critical shortage of bilingual educators and underfunded programs.
Earlier this year, Senate Joint Memorial 3 (SJM 3) was introduced to address these systemic issues. It called for collaboration between the Higher Education Department and universities across the state to create a joint bilingual education degree program. This initiative aimed to increase access to bilingual education training for future teachers and expand opportunities for students earning the State Seal of Bilingualism-Biliteracy. Unfortunately, the legislative session ended before the memorial could be heard, delaying much-needed action.
While SJM 3 did not move forward this session, the fight for bilingual education cannot stop here. New Mexico has a responsibility to fulfill its commitments under the Indian Education Act, the Hispanic Education Act, and the Bilingual Multicultural Education Act. Schools cannot continue struggling to provide adequate bilingual education due to a lack of trained educators and insufficient funding.
New Mexico must make meaningful investments in bilingual education rather than relying on narrow, one-size-fits-all literacy approaches that fail to serve multilingual students. The future of our students—and the future of our state—depends on an education system that values and supports linguistic diversity.
As an organization committed to educational equity, we will continue advocating for policies that uplift bilingual and multilingual students. The work doesn’t end with one stalled bill—our communities deserve action, and we will keep pushing for the systemic changes needed to create a truly inclusive education system.