Economic Development in Albuquerque, the PARCC exam

This week on New Mexico in Focus, Sarah Gustavus sits down with Gary Oppedahl, head of the city of Albuquerque’s Economic Development Department, to discuss the recent news that 10,000 people applied for jobs at the new Cheesecake Factory. How many of those applications came from New Mexico residents? Gary and Sarah will talk about economic development in the state’s largest city.

Correspondent Stan Wilson brings us different perspectives on the PARCC exam. Ellen Bernstein, and teacher Marisa Silva-Dunbar talk about recent changes to the No Child Left Behind Act. They also discuss the struggles low-income students sometimes face and how schools are helping students overcome those challenges and succeed academically. Rose-Ann McKernan from the Office of Accountability & Reporting at Albuquerque Public Schools talks about data from the first round of the PARCC, how the PARCC can be used by teachers and parents to assess student achievement, and what APS will do to assess academic growth if parents opt their students out of the test.

And host Gene Grant leads a discussion on the latest news headlines with this week’s Line opinion panelists.

GUESTS:
Ellen Bernstein, Albuquerque Teachers Federation
Elena Creamer-Martinez, teacher at Jefferson Middle School
Rose-Ann McKernan, Office of Accountability & Reporting at APS
Gary Oppedahl, city of Albuquerque – Economic Development Department

LINE PANELISTS:
Eddy Aragon, CEO, “The Rock of Talk,” Fox News ABQ 95.9 FM
Dan Foley, former New Mexico house minority whip
Sophie Martin, attorney and editor of DukeCityFix.com
Antoinette Sedillo López, executive director of Enlace Comunitario

CORRESPONDENT:
Sarah Gustavus
Stan Wilson

HOST:
Gene Grant

The Producer of NEW MEXICO IN FOCUS is Sarah Gustavus. Associate Producer is Kathy Wimmer. Funding for this program was provided in part by the McCune Foundation Communications Fund, Santa Fe Community Foundation.

Episode 935 airs March 4, 2016 at 7:00pm on Ch.5.1