E FRE
VOL 7 | ISSUE 305 | JANUARY 29, 2021
FULL ENGAGEMENT, ALMOST From SCHOOLS TO REOPEN TO 50 PERCENT CAPACITY IN FEBRUARY
criticism to praise GALLUP SENATOR CHEERS VACCINATION DISTRIBUTION By Kevin Opsahl Sun Correspondent
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By Beth Blakeman Associate Editor “Every school district in the state will be able to welcome all ages of students safely back to the classroom on Feb. 8,” New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham said in her 2021 State of the State address, Jan. 26. She spoke on the issues of grief, funding, economic growth, solar energy, recreational cannabis, and public education. Proclaiming that there is no substitute for in-person learning, she said, her administration
has worked with teachers, school support staff, superintendents, charter leaders, the department of health, the medical advisory team, and National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers to enhance the safety of school buildings and expand surveillance testing. “Our state has developed a solid and epidemiologically-sound plan for a safe expansion of in-person learning for all age groups supported by union leadership,” the governor said. What that means for the Ga l lup -McK i n ley Cou nt y Schools District is that 50
percent of the students will be eligible to return to the classroom. Superintendent Mike Hyatt says some students are already in GMCS classrooms, but beginning Feb. 9, he expects more. “We’re excited that parents and students have more options to attend school. Our schools are safe and ready for students to reenter,” he emphasized. “Our staff has done a good job at getting schools ready for kids.” The current plan is for children to attend classes in-person Monday through Thursday and spend Friday mornings online.
The AFT and AFT New Mexico responded to the gover nor’s announcement by crediting science and the prioritization of educator and student health and safety. “We are extremely pleased to see this plan’s embrace of continued COVID-safe practices, among them the strong efforts to safely accommodate high-risk educators, ventilation and classroom air filtration, on-going surveillance testing, sanitation protocols, adequate personal protective equipment,
SCHOOL’S IN | SEE PAGE 9
fter publicly decrying Gov. Michelle Lynn Lujan Grisham for her coronavirus vaccine strategy, a local lawmaker now says the state is doing a much better job getting the shots to one of the cities hit hardest by the pandemic. Sen. George K. Muñoz, D-Gallup, made the comments to the Gallup Sun earlier this week, saying the situation has “immensely improved.” “Our death rate was actually triple what it was of everybody else,” Muñoz said. “They were giving out vaccines based on population, so it wasn’t quite fair. We were more vulnerable than other people. That’s why, I think, we needed to get it there.” When he became aware of the discrepancy, Muñoz asked Grisham’s office for help. But he claims he got the runaround. “Everyone said, ‘I’ll call you back.’ Nobody did,” Muñoz said. “At some point, you have to make sure they realize what you’re talking about, a nd
VACCINE DISTRIBUTION | SEE PAGE 6