Wrap-up: speak for yourself… - survey on public education in New Mexico

New Mexico Business Journal, March, 1991 by George Hackler

WRAP-UP: Speak for yourself...

Two surveys commissioned by the Association of Commerce and industry last year clearly indicate that business thinks the No. 1 priority for economic development is education.

One survey of senior managers revealed that 84 percent think improvement of the educational system - from top to bottom - is the single best way to improve the business climate.

Another survey asked registered voters what were the most important things they could do if they were governor. Over 48 percent said "make education better."

Both groups were asked to be specific. Almost 44 percent of the voters said management of the school systems was the problem; only three percent said money. Among the business leaders, 30 percent said money; 25 percent said poor standards and curriculum; and 23 percent said mediocre management and administration. About the same number said low teacher pay.

Some highlights from the survey, taken by Market Research Institute:

* Business ranked public trade and technical schools high. Fifty percent said they do a good to excellent job.

* Business ranked community colleges, universities and private trade schools lower, with public schools K-12 the lowest.

* Less than 12 percent of business leaders thought public education was doing a good job.

* Fifty percent of business leaders responding thought public schools were doing a poor job.

* About 68 percent of voters polled favored merit pay raises; 16.8 percent favored raises based on seniority.

* Some 68.6 percent of voters favored teacher proficiency tests.

The survey polled 3,000 senior business managers last September. Out of those polled, 495 responded. Over 53 percent were chief executive officers employing about 125,000 people and representing about $16.4 billion in revenues. Registered voters, some 1,200, were polled by phone in October.

The polls were the first by ACI's New Mexico Focus program, designed to influence legislators into making changes in the state's educational systems and in state government itself, with the goal of improving the business climate.

Haven't we known these things all along?

And the temptation is to wag fingers. Didn't we tell you so? But, let's not.

The facts - the people - have spoken. Now the governor and the legislature need to act.

Isn't that the way it works?

Thanks for reading.