New Mexico is among five states chosen for federal money from the "race to the top" program to benefit early learning programs. A total of 133-million-dollars is being given out to the five states... The five states were finalists in last year's competition... New Mexico is getting 25-million-dollars from the program.  To get money, states have to turn in proposals about early learning programs. governor martinez says the state will use the federal money to make sure that children are ready to learn when they start kindergarten, and to improve reading skills of students from pre-kindergarten through third grade. The state could start to get some of the money in february. Illinois, colorado, oregon, and wisconsin also are getting a share of federal money, which is given  over four years, according to the proposals. Late last year, nine states got a total of 500-million-dollars for early learning programs.

The new mexico court of appeals - says a former  taos county teacher accused of inappropriate contact with a teenage girl will be losing his teaching license. the situation allegedly happened in september of 2007... the teacher - chad Skowronski - slept over at the girl's home after attending a pot luck there... and the girl later said he had fondled her. He was working as a science teacher at vista grande high school at the time.

Skowronski was initially charged in the case, but he completed a probation program, and the case was thrown out... but the state education department looked into it.

The Unviersity of New mexico's new president was formally inducted on Sunday. Robert Frank will be the university's 21st president. Frank succeeds David Schmidly in the job. Robert Frank received three degrees from the University of New mexico.

Taos schools are planning a fundraiser to benefit the Enos Garcia Elementary school art program. The taos municipal school board this week green-lighted the idea to have artists decorate small chairs that are outside the enos garcia gym... and then auction them off. The chairs are generally too small for adults to use. The board agreed that up to 50 of the chairs could be decorated and auctioned off.