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| Welcome to Excellent Schools New Mexico’s first newsletter of 2026! We are excited to bring you up to speed on what we have been up to this year. |
| ESNM was founded on the promise to help more New Mexico families access high-quality public schools. We made our first grants to schools in 2018, and since then, our team has incubated, grown, and strengthened schools that serve students well, especially in our state’s at-risk communities. To date, ESNM has invested $10M+ in the growth of schools across New Mexico that will serve close to 14,000 students – or 4 to 5% of the state’s K-12 public school population – at full-scale. Collectively, these schools have achieved the following: |
- Students in 94% of our portfolio schools are learning faster in both reading and math when compared to students who attend their home district schools.
- Students across our portfolio schools significantly outperform New Mexico averages in reading and math proficiency, and this is especially true among at-risk student groups.
- Our portfolio schools have leveraged our support to raise $100M+ in public, private, and facility funding, bringing more resources into NM communities.
| Overall, we believe an excellent education leads to higher graduation rates, economic growth, improved quality of life, and talent attraction for New Mexico. This is precisely why we are supporting proven, data-driven strategies like flexible learning approaches, strong partnerships with families, and innovative school leaders who put students first. |
| We appreciate your continued support in our mission to ensure every child in New Mexico receives a high-quality education. Together, we are ready to make a life-changing impact. |
| We are also excited to welcome ESNM’s new Managing Director of External Affairs, Celina Espinoza! She joined us in January. |
| Co-Founder & Executive Director |
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ESNM Honored by the Daniels Fund
| 2026 Medal of Excellence Award Recipient |
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| Earlier this year, the Daniels Fund selected ESNM from among its 300+ grantees to receive the Medal of Excellence, which the Daniels Fund awards to one nonprofit annually that is aligned with Bill Daniels’ values, possesses outstanding leadership, and has made a transformative impact. This award was accompanied by a $250,000 grant. |
| “Excellent Schools New Mexico is a sterling example of how vision, hard work and a refusal to settle for the status quo can transform kids’ lives,” said Daniels Fund President and CEO Hanna Skandera. “Scott Hindman and his amazing team have shown America that successful, rigorous options can be created in high-poverty areas of our country, and when families can choose great schools, these children can thrive. Their standard of game-changing excellence truly inspires us all.” |
| Click Here to read the full press release and watch ESNM’s finalist video! |
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Changemakers Fellows Take on New Orleans
| Fellows Witness Educational Improvements Made in Louisiana |
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| Launched in 2021, the Changemakers Fellowship is a joint initiative between ESNM and NewMexicoKidsCAN to educate and mobilize community and business leaders to improve K-12 public education in our state. |
| In late February, our 5th cohort of Changemakers Fellows visited New Orleans. Our fellows heard from Louisiana State Superintendent of Education, Cade Brumley, and New Schools for New Orleans CEO, Dana Peterson, both of whom discussed how Louisiana and New Orleans have grown K-12 student outcomes. Fellows also toured a pair of high-performing schools, including Booker T. Washington High School, led by Santa Fe native Korbin Johnson. |
| Our current cohort of fellows will graduate in May and will become part of the 150+ member-strong Changemakers Fellowship alumni network. |
| Interested in participating in our 6th Changemakers Fellowship cohort?Send us an email. |
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Meet Celina Espinoza, Managing Director of External Affairs
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| A native New Mexican with a degree in Communication and emphasis in Broadcast Journalism from Eastern New Mexico University, Celina traveled the United States as a multimedia journalist reporting on issues deeply affecting diverse communities. After more than a decade in television news, she transitioned into law enforcement and helped build trust between officers and the people they serve as the Santa Fe and then Albuquerque Police Department’s Communication and Community Outreach Director. |
| Before coming to ESNM, Celina served as the External Affairs Director at New Mexico Donor Services and helped save lives through organ, eye, and tissue donation. She also served on the media committee for Donate Life America and chaired the Native American Committee for the Association for Multicultural Affairs in Transplantation. |
| Hired to amplify our impact, she is helping to build a bold communications strategy and share powerful stories of student success. |
| In her free time, Celina can be found hiking along the Rio Grande with her son who is in kindergarten and enjoying anything #newmexicotrue. |
| Have an amazing testimonial, event, or idea for a story? |
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In the News:
| Recent Media Coverage of Our Work and Impact. |
| The Stronger Podcast: Stop Chasing the New: How Consistency Builds Charter Schools that Last with Scott Hindman |
| In this episode of The Stronger Podcast, Mike Montoya sits down with the Executive Director of Excellent Schools New Mexico to talk about a decade of building high-quality charter schools in a state that rarely gets the attention its education work deserves. |
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| 770 KKOB The Bob Clark Show: Daniels Fund Medal of Excellence |
| Scott Hindman, Co-founder and Executive Director of Excellent Schools New Mexico, gives a brief overview of the Daniels Fund’s Medal of Excellence honor and discusses how as a local nonprofit they help incubate, grow, and support great schools in New Mexico. |
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Get Involved!
| Follow Us on Social Media: We now have new Facebook and Instagram accounts. We’re also reinvigorating our LinkedIn page. Please Follow, Like, Share, and Comment so our work can reach more people! |
| Share the Stories: Please click on the links to the recent media coverage and share them to your personal social media pages. |
| Donate: Help support our mission to ensure every New Mexico family has access to a high-performing quality public school. |
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