For decades, New Mexico has ranked at or near the bottom in education, a reality we have become far too comfortable with. But we know the story doesn’t end there. All across our state incredible leaders, educators and parents are working to improve our education system and New Mexico Rising will feature their stories. Each episode will feature an interview with someone leading great work in New Mexico’s education system. Join us as we come together as a community and write a new story for New Mexico students with a steadfast optimism that we can and must do better for our children.
Benjamin Barlow, Principal of North Star Elementary School, joins us to discuss improving student achievement, the role of school culture in student success, and what it takes to serve students from across Albuquerque. We also discuss Principal Barlow’s experience as a former principal and teacher in Mississippi and how his firsthand experience with the Mississippi Marathon informs his work and his belief in what’s possible for education in New Mexico.
To learn more about the Mississippi Marathon, listen to these episodes of New Mexico Rising:
Semester 4, Episode 1: The Mississippi Miracle (with Erika Huffman) (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mississippi-miracle-with-erika-huffman/id1659497092?i=1000669275899)
Semester 5, Episode 7: Community Voices: Reflections on the Mississippi Marathon (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/community-voices-reflections-on-the-mississippi-marathon/id1659497092?i=1000708437540)
17 Sept 2026
More Than Just Numbers (with Dominica Chavez)
On this episode, we welcome back NewMexicoKidsCAN Advocacy Manager, Dominica Chavez, as co-host to break down New Mexico’s latest statewide assessment results. Together, Amanda and Dominica unpack student performance in reading and math, highlight areas of progress, and discuss the work that remains to ensure every New Mexico student is reading and doing math on grade level.
To learn more about the 2025–2026 statewide assessment results, visit nmvistas.org (https://nmvistas.org/) to explore state, district, and school performance. Visit nmkidscan.org (https://nmkidscan.org/) to sign up for emails from NewMexicoKidsCAN and stay up to date on the latest education news and data in New Mexico.
27 Aug 2026
Sparking Change & Celebrating Success (with David Diller)
David Diller, Co-Chair of the Changemakers Alumni Spark Change Awards, joins Amanda to discuss the Spark Change Awards, the Spring 2026 award recipients, and why celebrating their success matters. An initiative of Changemakers Alumni, the Spark Change Awards recognize New Mexico schools that are the highest-performing or fastest-improving in reading and math for Yazzie Martinez students. Tune in to hear more about this year’s recipients and how they are demonstrating that improved student outcomes are possible for all students.
Read the 2026 Spark Change Awards Press Release: HERE (https://mailchi.mp/7e2cf37a6fba/press-release-changemakers-2026-spark-change-awards?e=[UNIQID])
View the 2026 Spark Change Awards Program One-Pager: HERE (https://mcusercontent.com/33612feade87f1c7150e09b1e/files/e7f82ade-100e-7c75-6c66-ec1fff7a3755/2026_Spark_Change_Awards_Program_1_pager.01.pdf)
Learn more about Changemakers New Mexico at nmchangemakers.org (https://www.nmchangemakers.org/) and connect with Changemakers on Facebook, (https://www.facebook.com/changemakersnm/) LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/changemakers-new-mexico/), and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/changemakersnm/).
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
17 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
8 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 52 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
73
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
77
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