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In new documents, plaintiffs in the landmark Yazzie-Martinez education lawsuit have asked a judge to reject the New Mexico Public Education Department鈥檚 court-ordered plan to improve education for underserved students.

Plaintiffs say in documents filed Wednesday that the state鈥檚 proposed plan has no clear timelines, measurable benchmarks or cost estimates, and that it does not contain sufficient input from tribal communities.

鈥淭he biggest challenge in this is that the plan really does not meaningfully incorporate community expertise,鈥� said Alisa Diehl, an attorney for the plaintiffs with the New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty. 鈥淲e've asked the court to let us work with the state and community expertise to revise and strengthen that plan into something that can actually be carried out in classrooms across the state.鈥�

The 2018 Yazzie-Martinez court decision ruled that the state of New Mexico has a constitutional obligation to provide every student with an equal opportunity and a sufficient education, especially Native American students, English-language learners, students with disabilities and economically disadvantaged students 鈥� all of whom make up around 70% of New Mexico鈥檚 student population, according to the Public Education Department.

In April 2025, Judge Matthew Wilson ruled the PED had not done enough to improve since the landmark 2018 ruling and ordered a remedial plan.

In August, PED officials toured the state, soliciting feedback on the plan from residents in almost a dozen cities. 

鈥淭hey consulted community, but ultimately, we don't see enough evidence of the direct input that community has given us,鈥� said Loretta Trujillo, executive director of advocacy group Transform Education New Mexico.

Trujillo said she鈥檚 heard from students across the state that they want culturally prepared teachers, mental health support and more relevant coursework.

鈥淭hey don鈥檛 feel that they are well understood in terms of their identities, and they would like a lot more support and training for teachers to know how to address their needs as cultural beings,鈥� she said.

Attorneys for the plaintiffs anticipate the 1st Judicial District judge will make a decision on whether or not to grant their request in the coming months, Diehl said. 

A PED spokesperson declined to comment on pending litigation.

Natalie Robbins covers education for the Journal. You can reach her at nrobbins@abqjournal.com.