A. The department shall issue an alternative level one license to a person who is at least eighteen years of age and who:

(1) has completed a baccalaureate degree at an accredited institution of higher education and has received a passing score on a state-approved subject-area examination in the subject area of instruction for which the person is applying for a license; or

(2) has completed a master's degree at an accredited institution of higher education, including completion of a minimum of twelve graduate credit hours in the subject area of instruction for which the person is applying for a license; or

(3) has completed a doctoral or law degree at an accredited institution of higher education; and

(4) has passed the New Mexico teacher assessments examination, including for elementary licensure beginning January 1, 2013, a rigorous assessment of the candidate's knowledge of the science of teaching reading; and

(5) within two years of beginning teaching, completes a minimum of twelve semester hours of instruction in teaching principles in a program approved by the department; or

(6) [has] demonstrated to the department, in conjunction with the school district or state agency, that the person has met the department-approved competencies for level one teachers that correspond to the grade level that will be taught.

B. A degree or examination referred to in Subsection A of this section shall correspond to the subject area of instruction and the particular grade level that will enable the applicant to teach in a competent manner as determined by the department.

C. An alternative level one teacher shall participate in the same mentorship, evaluation and other professional development requirements as other level one teachers.

D. A school district or state agency shall not discriminate against a teacher on the basis that the teacher holds an alternative level one license.

E. The department shall provide by rule for training and other requirements to support the use of unlicensed content area experts as resources in classrooms, team teaching, on-line instruction, curriculum development and other purposes.

History: 1978 Comp., § 22-10A-8, enacted by Laws 2003, ch. 153, § 39; 2007, ch. 264, § 1; 2011, ch. 36, § 1; 2011, ch. 95, § 2.

Bracketed material. — The bracketed material was inserted by the compiler and is not part of the law.

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

2011 Multiple Amendments. — Laws 2011, ch. 36, § 1 and Laws 2011, ch. 95, § 2 enacted different amendments to this section that can be reconciled. Pursuant to 12-1-8 NMSA 1978, Laws 2011, ch. 95, § 2, as the last act signed by the governor, is set out above and incorporates both amendments. The amendments enacted by Laws 2011, ch. 36, § 1 and Laws 2011, ch. 95, § 2 are described below. To view the session laws in their entirety, see the 2011 session laws on NMOneSource.com.

Laws 2011, ch. 95, § 2, effective June 17, 2011, required that knowledge of the science of teaching reading be included in the assessment examination for elementary licensure beginning on January 1, 2013.

Laws 2011, ch. 36, § 1, effective June 17, 2011, allowed a license to be issued based on a subject-area examination in the subject area for which the license will be issued and required the completion of instruction in teaching principles within two years of beginning teaching.

The 2007 amendment, effective June 15, 2007, added Subsection E.