>> HERE ON NEW MEXICO INFOCUS WE TALK A LOT ABOUT EDUCATION.
EVERYONE WANTS THE STATE'S EDUCATION SYSTEM TO BE BETTER
CERTAINLY BUT WHAT DOES THAT REALLY MEAN?
LAST YEAR WE TEAMED UP WITH KUNM AND GENERATION JUSTICE TO
ASK STUDENTS IN ALBUQUERQUE ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCES IN
SCHOOL.
YOU CAN FIND THE FULL REPORT ON THE WEBSITE,
NEWMEXICOINFOCUS.ORG AND WE RECENTLY BROUGHT IN STUDENTS
FROM WORKING CLASSROOMS, A LOCAL ORGANIZATION THAT
PROVIDES TRAINING TO YOUNG ARTISTS, ACTORS AND MEDIA
MAKERS INTO THE STUDIO TO TALK ABOUT JOURNALISM AND THE
EDUCATION SYSTEM.
THEY STARTED WITH THIS QUESTION, WHAT WOULD MAKE YOUR
EXPERIENCE IN SCHOOL BETTER?
>> HERE IS A SAMPLE OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
>> WHAT WOULD MAKE MY EXPERIENCE AT SCHOOL BETTER,
WOULD PROBABLY JUST HAVE MORE -- FOCUS MORE ON THE
INDIVIDUAL STUDENT AND WHAT THAT INDIVIDUAL STUDENT WANTS.
AND JUST SEE WHAT INTERESTS THAT STUDENT HAS, WHAT THAT
STUDENT IS EXCELLING AT AND WHAT THEY NEED MORE HELP IN
AND NOT GO WITH THE LINEAR SYSTEM.
>> I FEEL THAT A CHANGE IN FOOD, CONTENT AND COMMUNITY
INVOLVEMENT IN SCHOOL WOULD BE THE BEST OPTIONS BECAUSE OUR
SOCIETY IS VERY MONOCULTURE.
WE WANT TO GROW A CERTAIN AMOUNT IN A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF
TIME TO BE ABLE TO MAKE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY.
WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO, LIKE, BULK MANUFACTURE AND JUST LIKE
COOKIE CUT EVERYTHING SO THAT WE CAN MAKE DOUGH.
OVERALL THE CONTENT IN SCHOOLS, I FEEL IT IS LACKING
IN REAL WORLD APPLICATIONS, NOT SO MUCH AS IN ACTUALLY
USING THE INFORMATION BUT THE WAY THEY TEACH IT TO ONLY BE
USED FOR MONEY AND NOT TO JUST SIMPLY DO THE PROCESSES, TO
ENSURE SURVIVAL.
>> CAN YOU ELABORATE MORE ON THE CLASSES WE NEED FOR LIKE
SURVIVAL?
>> I FEEL LIKE THAT AS CHILDREN IF WE LEARNED HOW TO
CULTIVATE OUR FOOD AND NOT MONOCULTURE AND SAY LIKE A
FIELD OF CORN, ONLY THAT, HAVE YOU HEARD OF THE TRES
HERMANOS?
IT IS BASICALLY CORN, BEANS AND SQUASH AND THAT IS AN
AZTEC MAYAN LEGEND AND IT IS ACTUALLY SCIENCE, LIKE ALMOST
QUANTUM LEVEL BECAUSE THE LEGUMES, LIKE, THROW NITROGEN
FROM THE ATMOSPHERE BACK INTO THE SOIL SO THAT THE CORN CAN
USE IT AND THEN THE SQUASH PROVIDE SHADE, ONCE THE LEAVES
GET BIGGER, SO NOTHING BURNS OR OVERHEATS.
SO IT IS LIKE ADDING THE DIVERSITY WITHOUT -- LIKE
WITHOUT SACRIFICING PRETTY MUCH ANYTHING.
IT MAKES THE WHOLE OF THE CROP BETTER, JUST BECAUSE THEY WERE
PLANTED TOGETHER.
FOR YEARS IN MICROBIOLOGY ARE ALL INTERACTING TO PROMOTE
POSITIVITY.
>> THEY BOTH HELP EACH OTHER, YEAH.
>> YEAH, LIKE SAY LIKE LOVE THY NEIGHBOR.
THEY WOULD BOTH BE PROMOTING EACH OTHER'S GROWTH.
HOW DO YOU -- HOW WOULD YOU GO ABOUT INDIVIDUALISM?
>> I GUESS IT ALL JUST STARTS WITH KNOWING THE STUDENTS.
I KNOW THAT IS HARD TO BEGIN WITH BECAUSE TEACHERS HAVE
OVER 100 STUDENTS.
THAT IS EVEN A LOW NUMBER FOR HIGH SCHOOL BUT I GUESS IT IS
JUST GETTING TO KNOW THE STUDENTS MORE AND IT JUST
COMES DOWN TO GETTING TO KNOW WHAT ONE CLASS IS LIKE AND
AFTER KNOWING WHAT THAT ONE CLASS IS LIKE, JUST KNOW HOW
EACH STUDENT IS AND JUST SEE HOW CAN YOU HELP THEM AS MUCH
AS YOU CAN AS THE TEACHER OF THE CLASS AND AS JUST AN ADULT
WHO CAN -- WHO IS SUPPOSED TO LEAD YOU IN THE RIGHT WAY,
JUST THAT MOST STUDENTS COMPLAIN AND SAY, YEAH, THAT
TEACHER DOESN'T REALLY DO ANYTHING TO HELP ME, AND, I
DON'T KNOW, IT IS A DIFFERENT CASE FOR EVERYBODY BUT I GUESS
IT ALL JUST COMES DOWN TO FIRST JUST GETTING TO KNOW THE
STUDENTS.
>> I THINK THAT IS AN AWESOME POINT BECAUSE, LIKE
INDIVIDUALISM, YOU CAN APPLY IT LIKE INTERNALLY AND ALSO
LIKE TO A GROUP BECAUSE THEY CAN BE, LIKE, OH THIS
INDIVIDUAL WORKS REALLY WELL WITH THE GROUP BECAUSE OF
THESE PARTICULAR TRAITS OR EVEN YOU COULD YOU HAVE THAT
STUDENT THAT REALLY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO AND WHAT THEY
WANT TO DO AND THEY ARE JUST KIND OF DOING ALL THEIR WORK,
STILL GETTING GOOD GRADES AND WHATEVER JUST CONTINUING ON
WITH THE PROGRAM, BUT HOW WOULD WE LIKE TRY TO ENGAGE
THEM EVEN MORE SO.
I MEAN ENGAGE THEM INTO AN ACTIVITY MORE SO THAN THEIR
INSECURITIES.
>> TO ENGAGE THEM IN ACTIVITY IS THAT, ENGAGE THEM INTO
ACTIVITY.
TELL THE STUDENT, HEY, SO THERE IS THIS NEW THING, I
JUST -- LIKE THERE IS THIS NEW THING THAT YOU HAVEN'T TRIED.
I WANT YOU TO HAVE A GO AT IT, IF YOU LIKE IT, IF YOU DON'T,
THAT IS ALL RIGHT, WE'LL SEE HOW IT GOES AND DEPENDING WHAT
HAPPENS THERE THAT IS WHEN YOU KNOW WHAT THE NEXT PATH IS TO
TAKE.
SO IT IS JUST GIVING KIDS OPPORTUNITIES FROM A MUCH
YOUNGER AGE TO KNOW WHAT THEY WANT TO DO.
>> MY OLD MIDDLE SCHOOL PUT FRESHMAN INTO FOUR DIFFERENT
CLASSES FOR FIRST YEAR.
IT IS LIKE ELECTIVE, MUSIC, ART, ORCHESTRA OR BAND AND
THEY WOULD HAVE A QUARTER TO FIGURE OUT, LIKE, IF THEY LIKE
IT OR NOT. AND THEN LIKE BY THEIR SEVENTH
GRADE YEAR, THEY COULD PICK WHATEVER THEY REALLY --
WHATEVER STUCK OUT TO THEM.
>> WHAT MIDDLE SCHOOL DID YOU GO TO?
>> JEFFERSON MIDDLE SCHOOL.
YEAH, SEE LIKE ALL SCHOOLS FROM, LIKE, OH, YEAH, THAT ONE
MUSIC PROGRAM, THAT ONE ART CLASS, BUT THAT IS
INTERESTING.
I LIKE THAT WHERE ONE QUARTER IS THAT AND ONE QUARTER IS
THAT.
EVEN THOUGH A QUARTER IS A SHORT TIME IT IS STILL ENOUGH
TIME TO KNOW WHETHER YOU LIKE SOMETHING OR NOT.
>> SO, MY NAME IS ANGEL ANAYA.
I AM 17.
I GO TO ATRISCO HERITAGE ACADEMY HIGH SCHOOL AND
SOMETHING THAT WOULD MAKE MY EDUCATION EXPERIENCE BETTER IS
HAVING A MORE INDIVIDUALIZED, MORE PERSONAL EDUCATION WHERE
I HAVE THE CHOICE TO CREATE MY OWN CLASSES BASED ON MY NEEDS.
>> MY NAME IS ALONZO ESTRADA AND I AM A SENIOR AT ATRISCO
HERITAGE ACADEMY AND WHAT WOULD MAKE MY HIGH SCHOOL OR
EDUCATION EXPERIENCE BETTER WOULD BE BETTER FOOD SYSTEM.
I KNOW MYSELF I HAVE TO EAT OR ELSE I GET LIKE MIGRAINES OR
SERIOUS HEADACHE, SO, THEREFORE, I WOULD LOVE IT IF
THE APS SYSTEM OR JUST EDUCATION SYSTEM ITSELF WOULD
GIVE ME OR GIVE THE WHOLE SCHOOL A BETTER LUNCH SYSTEM.
AND, THEREFORE, YOU WOULD GET THAT GOOD QUALITY FOOD, NOT
JUST THAT WARM UP MICROWAVE TYPE OF FOOD.
>> MY NAME IS JACOB OLAGUIR.
I AM GOING TO ALBUQUERQUE HIGH SCHOOL AND SOMETHING THAT
WOULD MAKE MY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE A LITTLE BIT BETTER
IS, IN HIGH SCHOOL, PUTTING LIKE MORE CULTURE INTO THE
CURRICULUM AND LIKE, I DON'T KNOW, STUDYING MORE THINGS
LIKE POP CULTURE AND STUDYING WHY TRENDS CAUGHT ON AND WHY
IT IS SO INFLUENTIAL AND PEOPLE WERE INFATUATED WITH
THESE IDEAS.
>> WHAT WOULD IT BE ABOUT CULTURE THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO
ADD ON, LIKE WHAT SPECIFICALLY?
>> SO, LIKE, YOU KNOW, THERE IS LIKE DIFFERENT TYPES OF
CULTURES, RIGHT?
YOU HAVE TO DEFINE WHAT CULTURE IS.
FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE THE RAP CULTURE, I HAVE BEEN WATCHING
DOCUMENTARIES ON THE RAPTURE DOCUMENTARIES AND THERE IS A
CULTURE WITHIN LIKE MUSIC AND RAP AND HIP-HOP AND RAP AND A
LOT OF OLD PEOPLE WOULD BE LIKE, OH, IT IS A LITTLE TREND
THAT WILL DIE OF IN A COUPLE OF YEARS AND NOW IT IS LIKE
THE NO. 1 GENRE AND WITH POP CULTURE, IT IS LIKE A LOT OF
THESE TRENDS END UP BECOMING LONG-TERM THINGS, AND WE WANT
TO GET THOSE STUDIES INTO THE CURRICULUM.
>> I AM A GRAFFITI ARTIST AND A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T ACCEPT
GRAFFITI AS A FORM OF ART.
IT IS OFTEN IN DITCHES OR WALLS ON PRIVATE PROPERTY AND
LIKE IT IS DONE ILLEGALLY, THEREFORE PEOPLE SEE IT AS
SOMETHING THAT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE.
I BELIEVE ARE IS SOMETHING YOU DO AND YOU FIND APPEALING, IT
DOESN'T MATTER IF IT IS ON THE STREET OR CANVASS, IF IT IS IN
A FRAME OR MUSEUM, WHATEVER YOU DO IS WHERE YOU FIND ART.
SO THAT IS WHAT I WOULD ASK LIKE, ART CULTURE, PEOPLE
WOULD BE INFORMED ABOUT IT AND NOT JUST GO TO ART CLASS AND
BE LIKE, THESE ARE LINES, SHAPES AND FORMS AND LIGHTING.
IT IS NOT JUST ABOUT THE BASICS.
IT IS ABOUT WHAT IT IS TO US AND WHAT IT MEANS TO US.
>> BOTH MUSIC AND ART AS YOU SAY ARE BOTH -- THEY ARE
CREATIVE, MORE VISUAL AND THAT BASICALLY ALL IN ALL MUSIC IS
ART, BASICALLY.
>> TRUE.
>> SO, WHAT I THINK WOULD HELP US ALL IS MORE -- BECAUSE
UNITED STATES AS A WHOLE, INDIVIDUALIZED, IT IS POOR
QUALITY IN MATHEMATICS, LANGUAGE, SCIENCES, BUT WHAT
DO WE EXCEL AT?
IT IS BASICALLY WE EXCEL AT MOVIES, MUSIC, SO, WHY CAN'T
WE CREATE A CLASS OR BASICALLY SOMETHING THAT HELPS US BUILD
ON WHAT WE ALREADY NATURALLY HAVE THAT IS GREAT.
>> EXACTLY, LIKE, I FEEL LIKE THE PROBLEM IN SCHOOLS IN
GENERAL IS THAT THERE IS A CURRICULUM AND THAT TEACHERS
OFTEN, WHEN THEY START, LIKE WHEN THEY START BEING
TEACHERS, THEY FEEL LIKE THEY ARE BEING TOLD TO FOLLOW THAT
AND LIKE FOLLOW IT DIRECTLY, LIKE, THEY CAN'T GO OFF LINE A
LITTLE BIT BECAUSE THEN THEY GET ALL WORRIED LIKE SOMETHING
IS GOING TO HAPPEN.
LIKE TEACHERS ARE ALWAYS LIKE WORRYING ABOUT THE BAD THINGS
THAT CAN HAPPEN, INSTEAD OF TRYING TO SHOW US THE VALUE OF
WHAT THEY ARE TEACHING US.
>> LIKE WE SAID, SCHOOLS ARE DESIGNED TO MAKE US FOLLOW AND
NOT CREATE OUR OWN PATHS.
LIKE THE ONLY TIME WHERE WE ACTUALLY ENCOURAGE TO CREATE
OUR OWN PATH IS PAST LEVEL OF HIGH SCHOOL INTO COLLEGE GOING
INTO WHERE WE PICK OUR OWN INDIVIDUAL CLASSES AND CREATE
THAT PERSONIZED EDUCATION THAT WE SO DEARLY NEED BEFORE.
>> EXACTLY.
I THINK, ALSO, THE BIG THING ABOUT SCHOOL IS THAT MOST
STUDENTS THEY FEEL THEY GO TO SCHOOL JUST TO GO TO SCHOOL
LIKE.
>> THE DEEPER MEANING OF IT, LIKE, WHAT DOES THIS ALL
REALLY MEAN, LIKE, I MEAN, LIKE, GOING BACK TO THE
CONCEPT LIKE MARKETING, LIKE, YOU KNOW, LIKE, IF YOU WANT TO
SELL SOMETHING TO SOMEONE, YOU MAKE THEM REALIZE WHY THEY
NEED IT AND YOU MAKE THEM REALIZE WHY IS IT IMPORTANT.
SO YOU TAKE THAT CONCEPT OF WHY BASICALLY YOU PUT A VALUE
ON TO SOMETHING OR MAKE SOMETHING IMPORTANT AND THEN
SOMEONE CAN BUY YOUR PRODUCT.
IF YOU MAKE, LIKE, KIDS REALIZE THAT, LIKE, THEIR
EDUCATION IS IMPORTANT, THEN THEY'LL BUY INTO THIS WHOLE
IDEA, WELL, I NEED TO START, LIKE, ACTUALLY LEARNING AND
APPLYING MYSELF IN THESE SCHOOLS TO LIKE BUILD A BETTER
FUTURE.
>> IN EVERY SCHOOL WE HEAR, YOU KNOW, HIGH SCHOOL IS
PREPARING US FOR COLLEGE, BUT I FEEL LIKE THROUGHOUT SIXTH
TO 12TH GRADE, IT ALL STAYS THE SAME.
YOU GO TO A CLASS, SIT DOWN, TAKE NOTES AND TAKE TESTS.
I FEEL LIKE THERE IS NO REAL PREPARATION OF WHAT YOU WANT
TO DO IN COLLEGE.
IT'S DIFFERENT IN COLLEGE.
WHAT YOU WANT TO DO IN COLLEGE IS TAKE CLASSES THAT BELONG TO
YOU AND WHAT YOU WANT TO DO AS YOUR PROFESSION AND HIGH
SCHOOL YOU GET TAUGHT THE SAME THINGS BUT LIKE HIGHER LEVEL
AS YOU GO.
>> MOST PEOPLE ACTUALLY DO CHANGE, FOR EXAMPLE, MAJORS OR
MINORS, BASICALLY, WHAT THEY ARE STUDYING IN COLLEGE, SO,
IF WE ARE ABLE TO EXPOSE THAT TYPE OF CHOICE BEFOREHAND, WE
CAN ELIMINATE SO MUCH, LIKE, OH, I STUDIED TWO YEARS TO BE
A NURSE BUT, LIKE, I JUST FOUND OUT THAT IS NOT WHAT I
WANTED.
THERE, I WANT TO CHANGE MAJORS, LIKE, THAT IS MONEY
WASTED.
IF WE CAN EXPOSE A CHOICE EARLY ON, WE CAN PUT SO MUCH
MORE MONEY FOR OUR EDUCATION AND PUT IT TO WHAT WE DO WANT.
>> EXACTLY.
IF WE WERE TO EXPOSE IT BEFOREHAND AND IF WE WERE TO
GIVE MORE TO THE CHILD TO WORK HANDS ON INSTEAD OF LIKE
LEARNING, I THINK THAT WOULD HELP US LIKE YOU KNOW HELP OUR
EDUCATION BE LIKE LESS EXPENSIVE, YOU KNOW WHAT I
MEAN.
LIKE, IF YOU WANT TO BE A NURSE, YOU DON'T JUST LIKE
LEARN ABOUT BEING A NURSE, YOU ACTUALLY WANT TO TRY BEING A
NURSE.
YOU ACTUALLY WANT TO HOLD THE TOOLS THAT A NURSE DOES, SEE
THE ENVIRONMENT, SEE YOUR WORK SPACE.
I FEEL LOOK IF WE WOULD EXPOSE THAT BEFOREHAND DURING HIGH
SCHOOL, LIKE IF THERE WAS MORE FAIRS ABOUT WHAT YOU WANT TO
DO, LIKE JOB FAIRS, I FEEL LIKE THAT WOULD LIKE HELP THE
STUDENTS BE, LIKE, BE MORE LIKE, THIS IS WHAT I WANT TO
DO AND THIS IS LIKE WHAT I WANT TO DO.
BECAUSE, NOW, LIKE MOST KIDS ARE LIKE ASKED WHAT DO YOU
WANT TO DO?
THEY ARE LIKE, WELL, I DON'T KNOW.
I JUST COME HERE AND SIT ALL DAY AND I LEARN THE BASICS BUT
I DON'T KNOW WHAT I WANT TO DO BECAUSE I HAVEN'T BEEN EXPOSED
TO DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES THAT LIKE HELP ME MAKE MY
DECISION.
>> I DON'T KNOW IF THIS CAN BE DONE, JUST MAKE A BIG LIST.
THERE IS JUST LIKE, I DON'T KNOW, LIKE EVERY POSSIBLE JOB
EVER.
I FEEL LIKE THERE IS SO MUCH JOBS OUT THERE THAT I DON'T
EVEN KNOW ABOUT, DUDE.
IT IS LIKE MAYBE HAVE JOB FAIRS AT THE HIGH SCHOOL AND
NOT LIKE TO HIRE KIDS, BUT YOU KNOW HOW THEY HAVE THOSE JOB
FAIRS LIKE THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
HOW ABOUT A JOB FAIR THAT ACTUALLY SHOWS DIFFERENT
CAREERS.
LIKE, SOME PEOPLE GO INTO LIKE BEING LIKE -- WELL, THEY GO
INTO SCHOOL BECAUSE THEY WANT TO BE A NURSE, BECAUSE THEY
WANT TO WORK IN A HOSPITAL, BUT THAT IS NOT THE END ALL,
BE ALL.
THERE ARE SO MANY OTHER TITLES IN A HOSPITAL.
SOMETHING MAY BE MORE FITTING THAN JUST A NURSE.
>> I THINK THE ENVIRONMENT WITHIN THE SCHOOL IS AIMED AT
LIKE TO HELP BUILD THE SCHOOL.
FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE, I MAY BE WRONG, TAKE EXAMPLE OF LA
CUEVA HIGH SCHOOL.
NOTICE THAT IS IN THE HILLS AND THERE IS LESS CRIME GOING
ON OVER THERE THEREFORE LIKE THE KIDS STAYING OUT OF
ILLEGAL DRUGS.
>> WE GOT TO LESS TO WORRY ABOUT.
>> WHEN YOU GO BACK TO, FOR EXAMPLE, RIO GRANDE AND YOU
SEE ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE GOING AROUND THAT NEIGHBORHOOD
AND YOU SEE HOW THAT NEIGHBORHOOD LIVES IN POVERTY
AND HOW THAT NEIGHBORHOOD IS FORMED, IT IS JUST LIKE -- IT
MAKES THE SCHOOL LOOK BAD AND IF YOU JUST GIVE UP, THEY
DON'T WANT TO TRY TO MAKE THE SCHOOL LOOK BETTER, THEREFORE
THEY GIVE UP ON THE STUDENTS AND THE STUDENTS END UP
DROPPING OUT.
>> THAT IS WHAT I WAS TRYING TO SAY, SCHOOL LUNCH THING AND
LIKE US BECOMING MORE LIKE COLLEGE TO KIND OF SERVE AS
MOTIVATION, BECAUSE AS WE LIKE LEARN TO EXCEL AT A CERTAIN
PROFESSION, IT KIND OF LIKE MAKES US MORE COMFORTABLE TO
CONTINUE AND STAY MOTIVATED.
AND THIS THING LIKE HAVING BETTER LUNCHES IS, LIKE, LESS
FOR LOW INCOME LIKE PLACES TO WORRY ABOUT, LIKE.
YOU DO WORRY ABOUT THESE THINGS, DUDE, SO YOU WANT TO
BUILD LIKE A SCHOOL SYSTEM AND EXPECT IT TO SUCCEED WHILE
STILL PAYING OUR BILLS AND TRYING TO HELP OUR FAMILIES,
PAY FOR, LIKE, YOU KNOW, YOU GOT TO HELP US OUT SOMEWHERE.
>> SO WE CAN STAY MOTIVATED AND CONTRIBUTE TO SOCIETY.
>> IT COMES DOWN TO WHAT IS NEXT.
WHAT CAN WE DO IN ORDER TO IMPROVE ON ALL THESE THINGS.
I KNOW IT IS JUST TALK.
WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO AFTER WE GET OUT OF THIS STUDY?
>> YOU HAVE GOT TO ASK THE SOURCE.
IT IS LIKE WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP YOU HELP US?
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