Trujillo vs. Dinge, issue by issue

Dinge: “No, with the caveat that funding for public charter schools should not affect the per student funding of other public schools.” He says he doesn’t see the number of charters becoming a problem soon. Trujillo: “A fixed cap alone doesn’t solve any issue.” He backs a “cautious, needs-based approach” and says that “If growth begins to harm the broader public education system, the PEC has a responsibility to slow or stop expansion.”

Asked what most voters don’t know about the office, Trujillo said “This is a partisan seat, and the commission is currently split 5 Democrats and 5 Republicans.” He said the next majority elects the chair, who sets the agenda. Dinge said the commission “regulate and approves public Charter Schools with no direct effect on other public schools in general.” He added: “I’m surprised by how many voters don’t know that.”

Trujillo told the Ledger his largest individual donors are “Vanessa Alarid, Brandon Padilla, and Sen. Mimi Stewart” and his largest group donor is the New Mexico Federation of Labor. If one of them led an application before the commission and he couldn’t decide it fairly, he said, “I would recuse myself.” He also said that, unlike his opponent, he can’t afford to lend himself $7,000.

The Ledger checked: state rules let candidates lend their own campaigns money as long as they report it, and state filings show Dinge lent his campaign $7,000 in June.

Dinge named his largest donor; the Ledger left the name out because the donor is a private person. Dinge said the donor “has no interest in anything the New Mexico PEC would be involved in”. He said: “No one who has a financial interest in the rulings of the PEC has donated to me to my knowledge.” (He asked us on Oct. 20 to add “financial” to that sentence; his answers note the change.) He didn’t say whether he would step aside on any decision.

Dinge told the Ledger: “Public charter schools are the research and development branch of the public school system.” He said he would make sure their best practices “are transferred to all public schools”. Trujillo: “Their purpose is not to replace or compete with public schools.”

Asked what he would do for Native American and English-learner students, Trujillo told the Ledger he “will require real plans for outreach, access, and service before approval, and hold schools accountable for outcomes at renewal.” If an applicant school isn’t serving the students the ruling covers, which he listed as “Native students, English learners, students with disabilities, and students from low-income families,” he said, “I will vote against their application.” He said he took his oath on a copy of the ruling, which Dinge described as finding “that the state failed to meet its constitutional obligation to provide uniform and sufficient education for all students.” Dinge told the Ledger: “Charter schools should implement policies that address the spirit — not just satisfy the letter — of this ruling.” In his answers to the Ledger, he didn’t name a specific step.

Trujillo: “Performance should be evaluated using multiple measures, not just test scores.” Dinge: “Charter schools should be evaluated against their peers and against similar student populations.” He would use anonymized student data to find matched comparison students.

Trujillo: “If a school shows signs of financial instability, the PEC must act early to protect students and public funds.” Dinge: “All state authorized charter schools are required to have an annual audit.” He would also ask the Public Education Department’s budget office for key indicators of financial sustainability.