{"id":12267,"date":"2026-03-21T15:56:57","date_gmt":"2026-03-21T21:56:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/it-all-intertwines-deb-haaland-talks-education-ahead-of-primary-election\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T03:31:20","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T03:31:20","slug":"it-all-intertwines-deb-haaland-talks-education-ahead-of-primary-election","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/it-all-intertwines-deb-haaland-talks-education-ahead-of-primary-election\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018It all intertwines\u2019: Deb Haaland talks education ahead of primary election"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"Deb
Deb Haaland, Democratic gubernatorial candidate, speaks to a vendor at the Shiprock Flea Market on Saturday as part of her campaign. (Courtesy Deb Haaland for New Mexico)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Deb Haaland, a Democratic gubernatorial candidate, said Saturday that New Mexico\u2019s education challenges rest with the adults and leaders responsible for shaping the state\u2019s next generation.<\/p>\n

The Haaland campaign team made its third visit to Shiprock on Saturday after winning 74% of the state party\u2019s votes at the preprimary convention and receiving the endorsement of the New Mexico Voices for Children Action Fund.<\/a><\/p>\n

She faces Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman, who received the remaining 26% of the vote.<\/p>\n

\u201cI believe wholeheartedly in the local economy and supporting my local economy,\u201d Haaland said while visiting the Shiprock Flea Market. \u201cThis is a perfect place to spend some money, to meet people and to enjoy the amazing fry bread.\u201d<\/p>\n

Literacy, infrastructure, universal child care and after school programming are among the topics included in Haaland\u2019s education plan<\/a>, which was unveiled in January<\/a>.<\/p>\n

On literacy, Haaland said she believes the first step in detecting problems is supporting teachers in the classroom.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you are a teacher and you\u2019re working every day with your classroom full of children, you will know specifically which children need more help,\u201d she said. \u201cYou can do all kinds of tests and spend money on reading tests and bringing people in \u2013 but I feel that we really need to make sure that we\u2019re trusting the teachers and the teachers aides and the education professionals that are in the classroom.\u201d<\/p>\n

Haaland also pointed to a lack of access to books in New Mexico as a barrier to early literacy.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are not enough children\u2019s books right to go around. There are some households that just don\u2019t have books to read, and so that\u2019s another thing,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

In January, the Haaland\u2019s campaign delivered more than 350 children\u2019s books<\/a> to Read To Me! \u2013 ABQ Network, a regionwide nonprofit focused on promoting childhood literacy.<\/p>\n

\"Deb
Deb Haaland, Democratic gubernatorial candidate, speaks to community members as she visits the Shiprock Flea Market on Saturday, March 21. (Alx Lee\/Tri-City Record)<\/span>Alx Lee<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Deb
Deb Haaland, Democratic gubernatorial candidate, looks at a local vendor table at the Shiprock Flea Market on Saturday, March 21. (Alx Lee\/Tri-City Record)<\/span>Alx Lee<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

With universal child care receiving mixed reactions in San Juan County because of capacity and staffing concerns, Haaland said workforce training could help address those challenges.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure there are a number of people right here in this community who, if they had the training, they would be able to go to work for an early childhood center,\u201d she said. \u201cI think training is one of the keys that we need to ensure that we\u2019re bringing that workforce up to capacity.\u201d<\/p>\n

In her education plan, Haaland proposes improving child care provider benefits and career pathways, opening more child care facilities and growing the Early Childhood Trust Fund.<\/p>\n

Improving and modernizing school facilities is another priority in the plan. Haaland said she has heard directly from school maintenance workers about the need for additional support.<\/p>\n

One solution those workers have proposed, which Haaland said she supports, is providing training toward certification to reduce reliance on contractors.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like our schools can save money if we give opportunities for existing working staff to rise in their jobs \u2013 climb the career ladder, if you will,\u201d she said. \u201cThey can learn these things, so that they can fix the things that are broken. If a child\u2019s in a classroom and it\u2019s winter outside and it\u2019s too cold and they\u2019re having to wear their coats inside, it\u2019s a really challenging learning environment for them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Haaland said creating a priority list could help determine how schools receive infrastructure improvements and ensure transparency in the process.<\/p>\n

Addressing the Martinez-Yazzie Action Plan, which has gone through several revisions, Haaland said she wants broad participation and openness as decisions move forward.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want everyone to come to the table,\u201d she said. \u201cThere has to be complete transparency on how we\u2019re moving forward with that decision. I want it to be something that people believe will service their children in the best possible way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Through her interactions with communities in San Juan County and the Navajo Nation, Haaland said she sees many issues as interconnected.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I went to the Northern Navajo Agency, I sat next to a woman who works for the U.S. EPA and asked me if I wanted to do a tour of the uranium sites \u2013 the abandoned mine land sites here,\u201d she said. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of issues about the environment that affect the place where kids live, what they\u2019re breathing and how they\u2019re seeing the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

From environmental and infrastructure concerns to teacher salaries, Haaland said all of these factors influence how children view themselves and their communities.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor me, it\u2019s about the kids,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s about the future generations, because that\u2019s what my ancestors thought about for me. They never thought about themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Deb
Deb Haaland, Democratic gubernatorial candidate, speaks to a vendor at the Shiprock Flea Market on Saturday, March 21 as part of her campaign. (Courtesy Deb Haaland for New Mexico)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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