Blake Gumprecht, a former teacher at Cuba High School and longtime college professor, expressed concerns in a podcast interview about the educational practices in New Mexico. He said that students are often advanced and graduated despite lacking grade-level skills.
"Graduating students who don't deserve to ought to be a scandal," said Gumprecht, geographer. "Most of them are performing below grade level. If you try to push them like I push, you will get, ultimately, in my case, you'll get terminated. This is not an educational institution. Teachers either accept that or they leave."
The issue of "social promotion"—advancing students despite poor academic performance—has come under scrutiny in New Mexico amid wide disparities between graduation rates and standardized test scores. According to a 2024 report from the New Mexico Public Education Department (NMPED), the statewide graduation rate reached 76.5% in 2023, yet fewer than 25% of high school juniors demonstrated proficiency in reading, math, and science. These discrepancies have led educators and policy groups to question whether rising graduation rates reflect real academic progress or systemic pressure to inflate success metrics.
According to the New Mexico Vistas 2023 Report Card, only 21% of 11th-grade students in the state scored proficient or above in English Language Arts, and just 13% met proficiency standards in math. In contrast, graduation rates at some schools, including Cuba High School, exceed 90%, raising concerns about the integrity of graduation criteria. Education analysts argue that this discrepancy undermines both diploma credibility and student preparedness for college or employment.
A study by Education Week found that chronic absenteeism surged post-pandemic, with over 40% of New Mexico students missing more than 10% of instructional days. The lack of attendance enforcement, combined with the persistence of social promotion policies, has been cited by teachers like Gumprecht as a key reason students graduate without mastering core subjects. National education experts have called for systemic attendance interventions to counter long-term academic damage.
Gumprecht is an award-winning author and journalist who transitioned to teaching after two decades as a geography professor. He previously held faculty positions at the University of New Hampshire, University of Oklahoma, and University of South Carolina. In 2022, he joined Cuba High School in rural New Mexico with the aim to support Navajo students but resigned after what he describes as institutional retaliation for enforcing academic standards.
Gumprecht is also known for his work as a writer and photographer. He taught at the University of New Hampshire where he served as department chair for six years. He is the author of three award-winning books, including "North to Boston" (2023), which explores the Black Great Migration through individual life stories.
