Education and Learning Advocacy in New Mexico
Uniting Families and Schools
for the Success of All Students
In this time of shifting priorities in education, it is important to be able to listen to the voices of all those involved in the educational process. Often, we don’t have the time to really sit down and talk about what is important when it comes to our children’s schooling. This spring though, ATD Fourth World’s team in Gallup gathered a group of volunteers from different backgrounds in a project called Education and Learning Advocacy with a process called Merging of Knowledge. You may not be familiar with ATD Fourth World, even though for the last 15 years, the organization has worked in Gallup, building communities to counter persistent poverty. Families living in poverty often express that education is key to a better future for their children, but their voices are not always heard.
Participants worked toward a complete understanding of each other’s thoughts and suggestions.
But, how can this be achieved in a busy and diverse community like Gallup? At the end of March 2025, ATD Fourth World invited local participants, from both Native and non-Native backgrounds, to bring their personal and professional experience of education in McKinley County to this Merging of Knowledge process. Over several months, parents whose families are experiencing poverty brought their life experience, teachers shared their professional perspective, and non-formal educators shared their insights from working with children outside of school. It could at times be a frustrating process, and the participants worked toward a complete understanding of each other’s thoughts and suggestions. Teacher participant Tammy Iralu described the process as, "Our work together required deep listening to understand each other's perspectives. Parents and grandparents contributed so much energy and hope to the project, and an eagerness to share with the community."
The group came up with six recommendations to improve education in our area:
Plan regular fun activities created by teachers and parents to support learning
Make school meaningful and interesting to students
Provide students with all resources essential for completing assignments
Actively prioritize communication to build relationships within the school community
Prioritize school district funds to expand parent outreach
Explore and advocate for community school strategies to the district
The recommendations have been sent to local education practitioners and policy makers. They were well received at a meeting in August with the New Mexico Public Education Department and at a local consultation meeting on the Martinez/Yazzie Education Action Plan.
If you would like to know more about this program or have any questions, please feel free to contact ATD Fourth World at newmexico@atdfourthworld-usa.org or (505) 862-9052 atdfourthworld-usa.org