A Vision Turning Into a Reality
The Bridge Focuses on Enhancing Workforce Development
By Natisha Hales
The Las Cruces Bulletin
What started as a vision to graduate all students
prepared to compete in a global workforce is closer to a
reality, encompassing business, education, government
and the community as the task force works to fulfill its
mission.
Members of the Regional
EducationInitiativeannounced its next step last
week at a news conference, where key advocates Kari
Mitchell and Patsy Duran introduced The
Bridge . The nonprofit
program will execute the goals of the Regional Education
Initiative – to reduce the countywide dropout rate by a
pre-determined rate annually, to fully integrate the
educational
systems in southern New Mexico to ensure all students
live the vision and to provide and expand technical- and
careereducation
opportunities for students and the community in southern
New Mexico. “We have an entire community to thank,”
Duran said. The road to The Bridge has been a long one,
and the trek began in May 2007, under the auspices of
the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce’s Education
Committee, chaired at the time by Duran.
The task force was created soon after and
involved all aspects of local education – former New
Mexico State University President Michael Martin, NMSU
College of Business Dean Garrey
Carruthers,
Doña Ana Community College
President Margie Huerta and Las Cruces Public Schools
Superintendent Stan Rounds. The initiative branched out
into the community and the region, incorporating
business leaders who represent the seven
stateadopted career clusters
and educators from the Hatch Valley and Gadsden school
districts.
After extensive research, focus groups, an
employer survey and discussions with high school
students at all levels of learning, the group developed
its goals and created a plan of action in February.
“We’re at a very exciting juncture,” Mitchell said, “and
we should celebrate where we’ve been.” See The Bridge on
PAGE B3 Continued from
PAGE B1 The Bridge is the first goal of
the REI plan of action, which is to establish a
nonprofit to manage integration of the delivery system.
With funding from education, business and government,
the next step is to hire a “highly skilled” executive
director and to finalize the business and strategic
plans.
The second goal is to incubate smaller, satellite
high schools to provide alternative education that
focuses on career and technical education. Two locations
have already been approved – the Arrowhead Research Park
and the West Mesa.
Once the program is fully under way, the task
force will continue to measure its success with
indicators such as graduation rates, employer
satisfaction ratings and the juvenile case load. “It’s
going to take all of us – business, education and
government – at the table,” Mitchell said. “If we all
stay, we will do something phenomenal.”
The news conference also served as a farewell to
Martin, who chaired the task force since its inception.
“This job is primarily to be a cheerleader,” Martin
said. “I’m a very good proponent of pointing out other
people’s success. This will work because it has to.
People have embedded their hearts and souls, and we had
a good time doing it as well.” Former NMSU President
Michael Martin praises The Bridge ,
a program to enhance workforce development in southern
New Mexico. Before his departure to Louisiana State
University, Martin chaired the Regional Education
Initiative task force, which introduced The Bridge at a
news conference last week.
