Attending ABQ Chamber education luncheon w/ Robert Pondiscio

Rebecca Dow of OAK was in attendance on October 30, 2024 for the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce Annual meeting with keynote speaker Robert Pondisco. Pondisco is with the American Enterprise Institute and is a Senior Fellow, focuses on K–12 education, curriculum, teaching, school choice and charter schooling.

For starters, we are thrilled to have the ABQ Chamber advocating alongside us on behalf of genuine education reform. One of the critical ways to do this is by having speakers like Pondisco speak to the business community about critical aspects of education reform.

In this case he discussed the transformative shifts in the American educational landscape and the pressing need for school choice. He begins by underscoring a pivotal change, stating, “The disruption of education has occurred. 40% of American students are attending a school other
than the school of their zip code.” This statistic signifies a decisive move away from the traditional, geographically determined school assignments, highlighting a growing embrace of school choice nationwide.

Pondisco frames school choice as an expansion of perspective, asserting, “School choice is nothing more than expanding your thinking of who provides public education.”; He invites the audience to reimagine how educational services are delivered, ensuring that high-quality
education is accessible to all students, irrespective of geographic restraints. He warns, however, against overburdening public schools, stressing, “We cannot allow public schools to become the social service providers at the expense of educational outcomes.”

He calls for maintaining the core educational mission of schools while preventing them from being overextended in roles better suited for social services. At the top of the list should be literacy and comprehension. Addressing the relationship between parents and the educational system, Pondisco clarifies, “Parents are not the enemy of public education. They are the customer.” This perspective
highlights parents as crucial stakeholders, advocating for their right to make informed decisions
regarding their children’s education.

Pondisco believes Texas is likely to become the last state around New Mexico to pass Education Savings Accounts (ESA’s). New Mexico parents will demand choice.  Here, he foresees an inevitable movement towards Education Savings Accounts (ESAs), driven
by strong parental demand for diversity and flexibility in education options. OAK New Mexico extends our appreciation to the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce for their bravery in addressing challenging issues.”

We hope Pondisco is correct. School choice remains a dream in nearly ALL “blue” states like New Mexico. We at OAK NM remain ready to help bring long-overdue, fundamental education reform to our State’s education system.