SANTA FE - New Mexico legislators always say improving schools
is not a partisan issue, but that may not be true.  One reform
measure from the recently concluded legislative session could be
the best example of how politics influences education policies.
The bill by state Sen. Howie Morales would revamp the formula
for rating New Mexico's 830 public schools with grades of A
through F.  Morales, D-Silver City, says the existing grading
system, devised by the state Public Education Department, is
volatile, unfair and inaccurate.  He cited cases in which
schools dropped two letter grades in six months as evidence that
the system was broken.  Both houses of the Legislature approved
Morales' bill to keep the A-F grading system, but create a
21-member education council to make it more understandable and
less dependent on standardized testing.  A party-line showdown
has characterized the bill so far.  Republicans voted against
Morales' measure, seeing it as criticism of Hanna Skandera,
secretary-designate of public