ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – It’s a pretty well-known phenomenon, but you’ll still find classrooms with more students than one teacher can handle in New Mexico.

Advocates believe that needs to change if we want our students to be set up for success.

“It shifts the complete dynamic of the classroom,” said Celeste Hernandez, a Bel-Air Elementary School teacher. 

Hernandez wrangles 20 kindergartners at Bel-Air elementary every day, but she’s faced even more before.

“I’ve had 24 first-graders in the past,” said Hernandez.  

Even with an educational assistant by her side, she says it was hard to keep up with two dozen 6 year olds.

“It’s like herding little feral kittens, right? And you have to figure out which kids know what. So you have to know. Do they know all know their numbers? Do they know how to hold a pencil? Do they know how to write their name? Do they know how to write their whole name, all those things? Do they know the letters and the sounds?” Hernandez said. 

Important observations that could be overlooked with each additional student on the roster.

“When you have smaller class sizes, you get more personalized attention. Students can get more of the help that they need,” said Mandi Torrez, a Think New Mexico’s education reform director. 

Education advocates say the research shows that does make a difference in the test scores, something New Mexico’s children are still struggling with after the pandemic.

“If they’re not on grade level at the end of third grade, all the research shows that everything sort of just starts to go downhill. From there, they’re less likely to graduate from high school, they’re less likely to go to college, their future earnings drop,” said Torrez. 

So, the folks at nonprofit group Think New Mexico are encouraging New Mexico’s state lawmakers to implement a 20-student limit for every kindergarten, first, second and third grade class throughout the state.

“That’s what teachers are asking for, and it’s really time that we start listening to what they want and what they need,” Torrez said. 

But that’s easier said than done. Despite state law already limiting kindergarten classes to just 20 students, data obtained by Think New Mexico shows at least 24 kindergarten classes in Albuquerque are above that limit this school year.

“There is already so much that’s placed on elementary schools to do without the money to do it,” said Hernandez. “If we’re not spending the billions of dollars we have right now, then when? This is our rainy day, like this is it.” 

The new bill does include a $2 million funding request to build new classrooms, but there’s also concerns about a statewide teacher shortage. Advocates believe limiting class sizes could actually help with that.

“People don’t want to go into teaching because they see how hard it is, and so we have to start changing that narrative about what it looks like to be a teacher,” said Torrez. “So it’s a win-win. Buy one, get one free. Pay for the class size, you will get the student achievement, and you get the teacher job satisfaction.” 

Democratic State Rep. Raymundo Lara is expected to carry this bill during the upcoming session. Advocates are hopeful all the former teachers-turned-lawmakers in the Roundhouse get on board.