Vasquez Opposes Extreme Anti-Teacher Bill

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Friday, March 24, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) voted against H.R. 5, which impairs children’s quality of education while undermining the role of teachers and parents.

 “H.R. 5 is a misguided attempt to inject politics into our schools, while failing to address our real educational needs, including crumbling school infrastructure, workforce shortages and a lack of funding for proven student programs,” said Rep. Vasquez. “New Mexico has a high rate of low-income students. A vast majority–87 percent–of New Mexico’s public and charter schools receive Title I funding. We should work to ensure kids don’t go hungry and teachers get paid fair wages rather than pit students, parents, and teachers against each other.”

H.R. 5 is an ill-advised attempt to politicize New Mexican’s education and undermine the relationships between parents, teachers and local decisions. 

“As a parent of three public school students and current public school board member, I wholeheartedly believe in family engagement and local control, but H.R. 5 damages both. I’m grateful Congressman Vasquez voted No on H.R. 5 because it would result in overreach, censorship, a decreased quality in curriculum and the undermining of trust in relationships. The trust built at home between a child and parent and the trust at school among the adults—parents, teachers and administrators—are what lead to improved academic outcomes and well-being for students, which is what we all want,” said Teresa Tenorio, local parent in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

“After listening to New Mexico’s parents and educators, Representative Gabe Vasquez is working to address the real challenges facing public schools and get all students the resources they need to thrive. Rather than dragging politics into our classrooms, Representative Vasquez is focused on getting students the one-on-one support they need, expanding school-based mental health resources for students, keeping guns out of schools and addressing educator shortages. Right now, we are seeing some politicians ignore the vast majority of parents. Thankfully, parents and educators know that Rep. Vasquez has the right priorities as he works to strengthen New Mexico’s public schools and expand learning opportunities for all students,” said Becky Pringle, educator advocate. 

Because New Mexico ranks last in child well-being, Vasquez is committed to finding solutions that improve our public education system and bring tangible results to New Mexico communities. Vasquez believes that to address these issues Congress must take meaningful action that prioritizes students, parents and teachers.