This week on New Mexico in Focus, Sarah Gustavus sits down with Gary Oppedahl, head of the city of Albuquerque's Economic Development Department, to talk about economic development in the state's largest city and to discuss the recent news that 10,000 people applied for jobs at the new Cheesecake Factory.

New Mexico PBS’ one-hour public affairs show New Mexico in Focus regularly airs Fridays at 7 p.m. and repeats Sundays at 7 a.m. on Channel 5.1, and Saturdays at 5 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. on Channel 9.1, except during Pledge Drives. Involved, informed, in-depth media: watch New Mexico in Focus again online at www.newmexicopbs.org shortly thereafter. 

Also this week, Correspondent Stan Wilson explores different perspectives on the PARCC exam. Ellen Bernstein, and teacher Marisa Silva-Dunbar talk about recent changes to the No Child Left Behind Act and also discuss the struggles low-income students sometimes face and how schools are helping students overcome those challenges and succeed academically. Rose-Ann McKernan from the Office of Accountability & Reporting at Albuquerque Public Schools talks about data from the first round of the PARCC, how the PARCC can be used by teachers and parents to assess student achievement, and what APS will do to assess academic growth if parents opt their students out of the test.

Host Gene Grant leads a discussion on the latest news headlines with this week's Line opinion panelists.

Guests

  • Ellen Bernstein, Albuquerque Teachers Federation
  • Elena Creamer-Martinez, teacher, efferson Middle School
  • Rose-Ann McKernan, APS Office of Accountability & Reporting
  • Gary Oppedahl, City of Albuquerque - Economic Development Department

Line panelists

  • Eddy Aragon, CEO, “The Rock of Talk,” Fox News ABQ 95.9 FM
  • Dan Foley, former New Mexico house minority whip
  • Sophie Martin, attorney and editor of DukeCityFix.com
  • Antoinette Sedillo López, executive director of Enlace Comunitario

Correspondents

  • Gwyneth Doland
  • Stan Wilson

Host / Commentator

  • Gene Grant

The producer of New Mexico in Focus is Sarah Gustavus and Kathy Wimmer, associate producer. Funding for this program was provided in part by the McCune Foundation Communications Fund, Santa Fe Community Foundation.

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