Wendy Leighton, Founding Faculty and Middle School History Teacher, was very busy lending her knowledge and passion for teaching history during the 2021-22 school year and summer that followed. She was on the team of educators that revised the K-12 Social Studies Standards in NM focusing on tribal sovereignty, social justice and sustainability. She served on the high school US history team. This is the first time in the history of New Mexico, that LGBTQ history will be required in all public and charter schools in the state.
She also helped to write the new INSTRUCTIONAL SCOPE to support the updated social studies standards. The NM IS was adopted this summer. She served on the US history high school team.
This summer, Wendy was asked by Simone Vann, The Black Education Curriculum Coordinator, to write the first sample lesson plans that are culturally relevant to African American students for public and charter schools in New Mexico. She drafted a total of10 lesson plans for social studies, ELA and science for middle school and high school. These will be digitized and available on the NM PED website for the Black Education Act under “resources’, then “teacher resources”.
We are so proud of Wendy and excited to integrate her curriculum and expertise at Monte del Sol!