Gov. Susana Martinez takes second oath of office

New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez struck a bipartisan tone and promised to push for education reform as she took the oath of office for a second time Thursday.

The Associated Press reported Martinez, the nation’s only Latina governor and rising star within the Republican Party, told an audience at a ceremony inside the House chamber that the election was over, and it was time for both parties to put aside differences to find solutions to help transform one of the poorest states in the country.

Here are excerpts from her second inaugural address:

I understand and appreciate the important responsibilities that come with this office. I will tackle the challenges. I will not mark time. And I will continue to give you everything I’ve got.

It is certainly the case that Republicans had a good night on Election Night. But it would be a mistake for us to believe we were elected because voters wanted Republican politicians in office. That’s not the message.

History is littered with failed politicians who believed that voters wanted one party over the other, when instead, it’s clear they wanted leaders who would put progress over politics. And it’s charting a new course of history we should be focused on.

We will be defined not by what happened on Election Night, but rather by what we do with the trust and responsibility granted to us by the voters.

What kind of history are we making for the children and grandchildren of New Mexico? What will they learn about what we did in office?

The greatest achievements in history were made by great leaders of both parties. And it is our duty to lead.

New Mexicans deserve leaders who put service above party. Leaders who choose to work across party lines not worrying about who gets credit when a reform works, but rather who will benefit from those reforms.

New Mexicans deserve optimistic leaders, leaders who believe in the best of New Mexico, leaders who believe — like I do — that tomorrow will always be better than today, that challenges can be overcome, that the things we lose sleep over tonight can be nothing more than remnants of a bad dream a year from now.

There is no area more deserving of our focus than ensuring every child receives a quality education. The greatest societies always put educating their children at the top of their priorities. New Mexico must be no different.

And we’re starting to turn the corner with some of our reforms, seeing good progress. Graduation rates are up, parents are more involved, and we’re closing the achievement gap.

But we can always do better. And our reforms are just beginning. To do better, we must be willing to listen to one another and hear each other out.

That’s why after the election, I met with a group of teachers and principals to listen to their concerns about reforms. We met for three hours one night listening to one another and searching to find common ground.

We must continue to measure every reform against one question — does it help our children learn? That’s what matters.

I will meet anyone halfway if we’re focused on the same goal of student achievement, but I will never compromise on lowering standards for our children.

I will never send a message to a child that they can’t succeed or that failure is OK. Nothing dashes dreams more quickly than destroying hope in a child. And I will never accept the argument that kids who can’t read should just be shuffled along, to struggle more and more as they get older, because intervening early and requiring them to read at grade level is uncomfortable for some adults.

We can, and will, have healthy debates, but we can’t shy away from high standards and we can’t tell the children of New Mexico that they can’t compete with any child anywhere in America and anywhere in the world.

I believe they can. And over the next four years, they will do just that.

As we set out on this path together, let’s be mindful of why we’re doing this. It’s for future generations, our children and grandchildren. And our children aren’t Republicans or Democrats. They’re just kids who deserve the very best state and the very best future we can offer. And it is for those kids that we must commit ourselves to act boldly, to facing our challenges with courage.

Let’s not worry about tomorrow’s headlines, but about the legacy we leave those children, and let that be a legacy where every child can succeed in the greatest state in the greatest country on earth.

Like I told you four years ago, I cannot promise you perfection, nor can I promise that we will always agree on methods. But I promise that we will share the same goal of a just, prospering, and limitless New Mexico. And I promise that we will work together so that New Mexico is always a place where dreams are made real.

— From wire reports