Veronica Garcia, Secretary

Public Education Department

Dr. Veronica C. García was appointed as New Mexico’s first Secretary of Education in 2003.

For 36 years, Secretary García has dedicated her career to improving public schools in New Mexico. She began her career as a classroom teacher and has served as a psychologist, principal and superintendent. Today she oversees school districts, charter schools and educators that serve more than 323,000 New Mexico children.

Secretary García has served as an adviser to the current and former U.S. Secretary of Education. In 2007 she joined a national delegation sponsored by the State Alliance for High Performance to study best practices in Singapore’s high-performing school system.

These experiences have helped Secretary García form strong partnerships and coalitions with parents, educators and business leaders to focus on improving student academic achievement across the state.

Under her leadership, New Mexico’s school accountability system and academic standards have been consistently recognized among the best in the country. Teacher quality has improved significantly and student achievement shows steady progress over the past four years.

Secretary García has received numerous awards and recognitions. In 2008, her outstanding leadership was recognized by the National Governors Association for Distinguished Service to State Government. She has also received lifetime achievement awards from Hispanic Magazine and the Parent Teacher Association, the 2002 New Mexico Superintendent of the Year Award, and several other honors from business, government and education organizations.

Secretary García’s commitment to improving public schools at every level is laying the foundation for a strong future for New Mexico.