New Mexico got a C twice last week.

On Jan. 10, the state's Public Education Department released preliminary data for New Mexico's roughly 830 schools under the new A-to-F grading system: 32 percent received A's and B's,
32 percent received C's, and 36 percent received D's and F's. Overall, the state earned a C.

Two days later, Education Weekly's annual Quality Counts report, which measures each state's educational system based on several factors -- including K-12 achievement, school finance, teacher quality, and standards, assessment and accountability -- gave New Mexico a C. Which is what the entire country scored in that report too.

Noted the report: "The nation receives a C when graded across the six distinct areas of policy and performance tracked by the report, the most comprehensive ongoing assessment of the state of American education. For the fourth year in a row, Maryland earns honors as the top-ranked state, posting the nation's highest overall grade, a B-plus. Perennial strong finishers Massachusetts, New York and Virginia follow close behind, each receiving a B. Nearly half the states, however, receive grades of C or lower."

Highly touted Florida ranked 11th and got a C-plus (about a 79, compared to New Mexico's 76.3, which placed us 31st in the report). South Dakota was at the bottom, with a 66.1, earning a D-plus.

To access the report online, visit Google "Education Weekly and Quality Counts."

Along these lines, here's a bit of dialogue I recorded between me and a smiling fifth-grader when I stopped in teacher Shelby Gernon's class at Ramirez Thomas Elementary School last week:

Girl: We got an F!

Me: Did you deserve it?

Girl: No. We don't feel we're an F.
Also on Jan. 12, I reported on Santa Fe Public Schools' efforts to illuminate and address the problem of bullying in its schools (Google "District taskforce takes on bullying"). A few days later, I came across a new report on the issue, "Playgrounds and Prejudice: Elementary School Climate in the United States," put out by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network that is based on surveys of 1,065 elementary-school kids in grades three to six and about 1,100 elementary-school teachers in grades K-6.

The report goes beyond just gay and lesbian students, noting that 75 percent of elementary-school kids report that students at their school are bullied, called names or made fun of on a regular basis, and that about half of the teachers believe that bullying, harassment or name-calling is a serious issue at their school.

This lengthy (125 pages) document ends with a chapter spotlighting the importance of professional development for teachers to deal with the problem beyond just sending the offender to the principal's office. The report notes that more than eight out of 10 teachers report having received professional development in bullying and harassment -- an idea Santa Fe Public Schools' student-wellness team is considering.

Google "Playgrounds and Prejudice" or "GLSEN" to access the report.

Monte del Sol Charter School, a charter for students in grades seven to 12 that opened in 2000, will host an admissions open house at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 25. Teachers and students will be on hand to answer questions.

The school, at 4157 Walking Rain Road in the Nava Adé neighborhood off Richards Avenue, has an application deadline of March 23, and the lottery drawing is March 28. About 360 students attend the school. Visit www.montedelsol.org and click on the Admissions link for more information. (Incidentally, that school received an A under the state's new grading system.)