Morning Word: Hit the Books

Santa Fe school board hits the books
There's a big study session for the SFPS Board of Education tonight. The district will examine (but not vote on) options for making up a budget shortfall that's somewhere between $2 and $9 million. The options include closing two elementary schools. There's a public comment period, too, which should be interesting.

'To hell in a nutshell'

Many New Mexicans have been going by a name that's close to—but not exactly the same as—their given name for most of their lives. It hasn't been much of a problem, but lately the necessity of a REAL ID-compliant driver's license has

that one man described as "hell in a nutshell."

What ails the New Mexico economy?

Maybe most people here weren't getting rich before the recession, but for a time, they were working at a rate better than the national average. No longer. The state has the nation's highest unemployment rate and what's wrong is

.

SFR founder to be honored

Richard McCord, who moved west to Santa Fe and founded the

Santa Fe Reporter

in the 1970s, is being honored as a living treasure. Across the street at the

Santa Fe New Mexican,

Milan Simonich

of explaining Dick McCord's drive, his passion for news and his love for his hometown.

It's not a huge program—it has a $10,000 price tag—but the University of New Mexico College of Education has been giving teachers who host UNM's student teachers a $50 or $100 stipend for time spent mentoring. The current budget climate means that program, slim as it may be,

.

Bathroom passes handed out by one teacher at an Albuquerque high school featured the phrase "don't get confused" above symbols for the girls and boys bathrooms. Some took offense, saying there's an

. The district says they are unacceptable, whatever the teacher's intent.

The March for Science was a global event, as people took to the streets to support everything from stable funding for scientific research to greater belief in the power of science to inform public policy. New Mexico participated with marches

, including here in Santa Fe. Catch some of the event on

.

It's the warmest year on record at the Albuquerque Sunport, and the National Weather Service says that's likely to continue. This will be a

.

Santa Fe Reporter