SENATE MEMORIAL 38

49th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2010

INTRODUCED BY

John C. Ryan

A MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE PUBLIC EDUCATION DEPARTMENT TO REPORT TO THE FIRST SESSION OF THE FIFTIETH LEGISLATURE ON ITS STUDY OF MECHANISMS TO REWARD TEACHERS WHO DEMONSTRATE OUTSTANDING TEACHER PRACTICES THAT RESULT IN OUTSTANDING STUDENT ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AND IMPROVEMENT AND THE DESIGN OF A MERIT PAY PROGRAM.

     WHEREAS, as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the federal government has set aside over four billion dollars ($4,000,000,000) to provide "race to the top" competitive grants for education reform and innovation in the classroom; and

     WHEREAS, the public education department submitted a nine-hundred-plus-page application in which the secretary pledged to work on a standardized process for evaluating teachers based on student achievement and proposed incentive pay for teachers and principals who improve student achievement;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the public education department be requested to report to the legislative education study committee and the legislature before the first session of the fiftieth legislature on its progress in designing a merit selection system for teachers and principals who improve student achievement; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the department consider the use of both standardized teacher evaluation and student achievement reports to determine the basis of merit awards as well as other worthy measures; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the department work collaboratively with teachers, principals and other school administrators and the teachers unions in the design of the system, the process and the evaluation instruments; and

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

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