HOUSE MEMORIAL 47

57th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2026

INTRODUCED BY

G. Andrés Romero and Joseph L. Sanchez

 

 

 

 

 

A MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE LEGISLATIVE EDUCATION STUDY COMMITTEE TO CONDUCT A STUDY EXAMINING REQUIREMENTS AND PRACTICES RELATED TO TEACHER WORKLOADS AND THE STRUCTURE OF INSTRUCTIONAL DAYS AND TO DEVELOP RECOMMENDATIONS TO SUPPORT HIGH-QUALITY INSTRUCTION AND TEACHER EFFECTIVENESS THAT INCLUSIVELY BENEFIT ALL NEW MEXICO STUDENTS.

 

     WHEREAS, research consistently identifies quality teachers as the single most important in-school factor to positively influence student achievement and outcomes; and

     WHEREAS, New Mexico teachers are responsible for providing tailored instruction to students with varied cultural, linguistic, developmental and socioeconomic backgrounds, as well as a wide range of individual learning needs across the state's urban, rural, frontier and tribal communities; and

     WHEREAS, to support student learning, achievement of instructional goals and local community needs and priorities, New Mexico teachers are responsible for core instructional duties and professional responsibilities requirements at both state and local levels; and

     WHEREAS, research indicates that teachers in New Mexico and across the nation spend a substantial and increasing portion of their working time on non-instructional duties, including lesson preparation; professional development and self-review; student assessments; development and monitoring of individualized education plans; compliance activities; and various other duties; and

     WHEREAS, teachers are increasingly responsible for administering multiple summative, formative and interim assessments and specialized assessments across instructional areas, as well as ensuring students' well-being by understanding and addressing students' needs for both current and long-term academic success; and

     WHEREAS, fragmented and disconnected education data systems, including school accountability and student assessment data, require teachers to devote substantial efforts to non-instructional tasks, such as data analysis and reporting, to inform responsive student interventions and differentiation, reducing teachers' available time for instruction, collaboration and professional learning; and

     WHEREAS, proposals that could further increase teacher workload, such as literacy and mathematics screening, family and parent notification and development of individualized student plans, continue to be considered by the legislature; and

     WHEREAS, the 2023 legislative education study committee report "Leveraging Learning Time in New Mexico" noted that improving and protecting educators' professional work time is directly connected to the necessary conditions in school environments for improved student outcomes; and

     WHEREAS, according to the publication "No Time to Lose" by a study group of the national conference of state legislatures, international research on high-performing education systems, including those in Finland, Singapore and Japan, indicates that balanced teaching loads and high-quality teacher development, such as collaboration, mentorship and effective professional development and embedding professional work into the school day, support both teacher growth and student learning; and

     WHEREAS, research indicates that teacher workload and job demands are associated with elevated levels of stress and burnout, which can affect student learning, teacher retention and instructional continuity; and

     WHEREAS, New Mexico continues to experience high vacancy rates for teachers and other educational positions, with New Mexico state university's southwest outreach academic research evaluation and policy center reporting in its 2025 "New Mexico Educator Vacancy Report" a staggering one thousand one hundred eleven vacancies across the state, including six hundred four teacher and two hundred eighty-nine educational or instructional assistant vacancies, and New Mexico's school leaders continue to communicate the growing challenge statewide of recruiting and retaining qualified teachers, especially in rural communities and among teachers with specialized training in serving students with disabilities; and

     WHEREAS, increasingly, teachers report viewing their profession as unsustainable within their allotted contract hours, and survey results show teachers often work substantially more hours than their contracts require, attributing the increased work hours primarily to non-instructional tasks; and

     WHEREAS, a legislatively authorized study could evaluate how time is allocated to teachers during the school day, including instructional and professional work and how state and local requirements, professional learning requirements and available resources impact teacher schedules and instructional time, and the study could provide analysis and recommendations on structuring teacher time to balance workload and support teacher effectiveness, thereby improving student achievement and outcomes;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the legislative education study committee be requested to conduct a study examining the statutory requirements and current practices related to teacher workload and the structure of the instructional day and to develop recommendations to support high-quality instruction and teacher effectiveness to benefit and serve New Mexico's student population, including students with disabilities, economically disadvantaged students, English learners and Native American students who are named in the Martinez/Yazzie consolidated lawsuit; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the legislative education study committee be requested to conduct the study by working with a representative group of educational leaders; educators representing numerous grade levels, areas of instructional expertise and communities across New Mexico; school personnel; teacher unions; the legislative finance committee; and the public education department; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the legislative education study committee be requested to publish a report of the study, including its research and recommendations, by December 31, 2026; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the director of the legislative education study committee, the director of the legislative finance committee and the secretary of public education.