Message from the Executive Director
March brings interesting and unusual times to New Mexico with the COVID-19 coronavirus. We are following the NMDOH and CDCs recommendations. The CDC specifically addresses these basic recommendations.
Region 9 has communicated with all department staff through their supervisors. We are allowing work from home if the employee's work allows, we have suspended all staff gatherings of five or more, and we have moved all meetings to a virtual environment. We closed the Region 9 main office to the public on March 16. Per the request of the governor, school-based health will remain open. Communications on the status of Region 9 are on our Region 9 homepage.
CDC and DOH recommend that people help protect themselves from respiratory illness with everyday preventive actions:
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
- Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.
- If you are sick, to keep from spreading respiratory illness to others, you should:
- stay home when you are sick.
- cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
- clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
We are encouraging good cold and flu etiquette with all staff.
March also brings a finish to the 2020 legislative session. This year the funding bill, HB2, includes the New Mexico Regional Educational Cooperatives. The RECs are the first line “below the line” with a new allocation of 1.1 million dollars. This is the first increase the RECs have seen since 2006, which is the year RECs first received an appropriation. The slightly higher appropriation provides each REC with just under $6,000.00. The NM RECs invested a large effort in creating marketing materials, communicating with legislators, and developing and building strong positive relationships. We have increased knowledge across the state with other organizations across the New Mexico educational system. For Region 9, we are proud to receive the first increase in legislative funding and will utilize the money to offset member district fees to reduce their costs. March also drives us to be more focused on our continued effort to educate legislators about the value the RECs bring to New Mexico education. The RECs will be meeting in March to build our plan and get ready for the 2021 legislative session. I will keep you updated as our plans progress.
Association of Educational Service Agencies - AESA
I am the NM Representative of this national organization. We are planning a Western Regional Summit in Jackson Hole, Wyoming on May 21 and 22. There will be up to fifty executive directors from six states (NM, CO, UT, WY, ND, and MT) meeting to discuss their organizational frameworks and entrepreneurial activities and to network to exchange best practices.
Region 9 continues to be an active, thriving, hard-working environment. Thanks for the opportunity to serve you!
Respectfully,
Bryan Dooley
Executive Director
Region 9 Education Cooperative
