Share Your Story: Advocate for Inclusive Attendance
- inclusiveattendnm
- Nov 5
- 3 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
We are at a critical point for New Mexico's attendance law and how it treats stude
nts with severe medical conditions.
UPDATE: Family training on How to Share Your Story will be happening Monday, 11/17/25! Link to RSVP and attend coming soon
Lawmakers and leaders need to hear from affected New Mexico families like you!
Do you have a child with severe medical condition(s) that drive absences?
0%Yes
0%No
IF yes, has the current attendance law had a negative effect on your family?
0%Yes
0%No
How is your family impacted by the attendance law in New Mexico?
0%Afraid to speak up
0%Worried about CYFD when my child gets sick
0%Less trust with school
0%Feel driven to another school district
You can vote for more than one answer.
When is the next step toward change happening?
November 19 - 21, 2025 in Santa Fe, at the Roundhouse (exact date & time for Public Comment to be announced), or virtually online
Before the meeting, contact Committee members by phone or email to share your story
AND / OR
Share public comment at the meeting (2-minute limit)
Be Part of the Solution
Why do they need to hear my story?
Change starts with recognizing a problem and understanding why it exists. If the people shaping our laws don't hear from the people they affect, they will never know what the impacts (good and bad) might be.
Right now, this is about families and students who experience absences because of severe medical conditions and are experiencing negative impact(s) from the current attendance law.
For my family, we have experienced added stress and eroded trust with the school from getting attendance notification letters that warn (feels like threaten) CYFD referral. This came after severe illnesses, hospitalizations and intense recovery times, despite documentation, communication and planning for learning loss make-up. Attendance continues to be a problem because of ongoing specialized care needed for severe conditions. The only providers are located in Albuquerque or out of state, so travel time also adds to time out of school. This is all planned for through a Section 504 plan, but we are still penalized by the intervention framework of the current law.
How do I speak to lawmakers?
Always be respectful, truthful, factual, to-the-point and appreciative. Stick to your own experience or cite your references. Be clear about what issue you are speaking about, why you care about it, and what action you would like to see.
There are many advocacy organizations that offer great advice on how to advocate, and information on the legislative process here in New Mexico.
What do I even say?
As a general formula, you could follow something along the lines of:
Introduce yourself (name, where you're from, if you're a parent/educator/concerned community member)
The issue you want to speak about
Why the issue matters to you - This is your story. For the specific topic of attendance law and its impacts, you might include:
Whether your family / child experiences absences due to severe medical condition(s)
What negative impacts have resulted because of the current attendance law
Why those impacts have been negative to your family or student
What action/change you would like to see. For the November LESC meeting, consider:
Support for LESC endorsing this proposed amendment to the attendance law;
Lawmakers signing on as bill sponsors
For Email, be sure to include your contact information for any questions.
Email the LESC Committee members, found here: https://www.nmlegis.gov/Entity/LESC/Committee_Information
For Public Comment in-person or online, the agenda for the next meeting will be posted on the committee webpage https://www.nmlegis.gov/Entity/LESC/Committee_Information when available. Look on the agenda for the day and time for Public Comment, as well as the link to attend virtually.
Begin your comments by addressing the Chair ("Good Afternoon Mr. Chair") and introducing yourself. End your comments by thanking the members for their time.
NOTE: There is a strict 2-minute time limit for the LESC committee.
I write out, edit, practice and time myself for any public comments. I try to arrive at least an hour before the scheduled time, because sometimes the agenda moves quickly and the actual Public Comment time starts sooner. Sometimes it also starts later than advertised.
All legislative meetings are recorded and can be viewed after the fact. For example, the October LESC meeting on 10/17/25: https://sg001-harmony.sliq.net/00293/Harmony/en/View/Calendar/20251017/-1. If you plan to give public comment at the meeting, I highly recommend observing the committee's by listening to a past meeting.
Who can I contact with questions?
Feel free to reach out to me anytime at inclusiveattendnm@gmail.com
I'm just a fellow parent, but I'm happy to listen, share, and try to point you in the right direction.
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