A. Teaching and school administration are recognized as professions, with all the rights, responsibilities and privileges accorded professions, having their first responsibility to the public they serve. The primary responsibilities of the teaching and school administration professions are to educate the children of this state and to improve the professional practices and ethical conduct of their members.

B. The New Mexico licensure framework for teachers and school administrators is a progressive career system in which licensees are required to demonstrate increased competencies and undertake increased duties as they progress through the licensure levels. The minimum salary provided as part of the career system shall not take effect until the department has adopted increased competencies for the particular level of licensure and a highly objective uniform statewide standard of evaluation.

C. A level one license is a provisional license that gives a beginning teacher the opportunity, through a formal mentorship program, for additional preparation to be a quality teacher. A level two license is given to a teacher who is a fully qualified professional who is primarily responsible for ensuring that students meet and exceed department-adopted academic content and performance standards; a teacher may choose to remain at level two for the remainder of the teacher's career. A level three-A license is the highest level of teaching licensure for those teachers who choose to advance as instructional leaders in the teaching profession and undertake greater responsibilities such as curriculum development, peer intervention and mentoring. A level three-B license is for teachers who commence a new career path in school administration by becoming school administrators.

D. All teacher and school administrator salary systems shall be aligned with the licensure framework in a professional educator licensing and salary system.

E. All teachers and school administrators who hold teaching or administrator certificates on the effective date of the 2003 act shall meet the requirements for their level of licensure by September 1, 2006 and shall be issued licenses.

History: 1978 Comp., § 22-10A-4, enacted by Laws 2003, ch. 153, § 35; 2005, ch. 315, § 4; 2005, ch. 316, § 1.

Cross references. — For the public education department, see 9-24-4 NMSA 1978.

The 2005 amendment, effective April 7, 2005, deleted the former provision in Subsection C that a level one license shall be issued for the first three years of teaching. Laws 2005, ch. 315, § 4 and Laws 2005, ch. 316, § 1 enacted identical amendments. The section was set out as amended by Laws 2005, ch. 316, § 1. See 12-1-8 NMSS 1978.