HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL 3

54th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2020

INTRODUCED BY

Sheryl Williams Stapleton and Michael Padilla and

Debra M. Sariñana and Elizabeth "Liz" Thomson and

G. Andrés Romero

 

 

 

A JOINT MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE HIGHER EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, THE PUBLIC EDUCATION DEPARTMENT AND THE WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS DEPARTMENT TO CONVENE A WORKING GROUP TO STUDY THE FEASIBILITY OF DEVELOPING A CAREER PATHWAY FOR ALL SCHOOL-RELATED PERSONNEL TO INCREASE RETENTION AND PROVIDE UPWARD FINANCIAL MOBILITY FOR SCHOOL EMPLOYEES.

 

     WHEREAS, school communities rely on the varied skills of many different types of employees to meet the needs of all students; and

     WHEREAS, educational assistants provide personal support to students and teachers and build strong relationships with parents in the course of their work; and

     WHEREAS, nutritional service professionals plan healthy and nutritious meals, gather ingredients, prepare meals, portion servings for hundreds of students and maintain rigorous cleanliness and sanitary conditions in their preparation areas and food service areas; and

     WHEREAS, education clerks maintain enrollment information and attendance records and perform outreach to parents; and

     WHEREAS, school bookkeepers inventory, order and track supplies, maintain fundraising records, make travel arrangements for staff and students, manage invoices and contracting for services and disperse and deposit school funds; and

     WHEREAS, school secretaries oversee and monitor the office, train staff on office procedures, assist parents, students and staff with questions, oversee transportation, are the first point of contact upon entering the school building and schedule substitute teachers; and

     WHEREAS, custodial and maintenance staff maintain the school building and grounds, repair equipment, remodel or repair school facilities, operate and maintain heating and cooling systems, sweep the school for explosives during emergencies, remove snow, maintain door locks and building security, clean up human waste, hold professional licenses and pull appropriate permits for various types of remodel or repair work; and

     WHEREAS, health assistants receive specialized training and licensures to assist registered school nurses in the development and implementation of school health plans, including health screenings and the administration of medications; and

     WHEREAS, transportation professionals provide safe and reliable transportation to and from school as well as related activities, maintain school bus mechanical systems, ensure safe on-time service and act as role models for ethical behavior; and

     WHEREAS, security officers ensure that students, faculty, parents and community members are safe and respond to emergency situations without regard to their own personal safety; and

     WHEREAS, crossing guards set a positive example for students and provide a safe passage to and from school each day; and

     WHEREAS, schools provide students a consistent environment in which they can feel cared for, encouraged and safe; and

     WHEREAS, building and maintaining lasting relationships with students and families through consistent staffing helps develop a sense of safety and community for students within schools; and

     WHEREAS, the many school-related personnel who interact with students and parents each day are the backbone of the school community, often the first to interact with students in the morning and the last to interact with students and parents in the evening; and

     WHEREAS, developing a career pathway for all school-related personnel could increase retention and provide upward financial mobility for school employees; and

     WHEREAS, providing a pathway to raise the wages of school-related personnel could help communities, local businesses and families through increased spending and higher tax revenue;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the higher education department, the public education department and the workforce solutions department be requested to convene a working group to study the feasibility of developing a career pathway for all school-related personnel to increase retention and provide upward financial mobility for school employees; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the working group be requested to explore, study and make effective recommendations for the creation of a tiered career pathway system for all school support classifications, to include educational assistants, nutritional service professionals, education clerks, school bookkeepers, school secretaries, custodial and maintenance staff, health assistants, transportation professionals, security officers and crossing guards; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the higher education department, the public education department and the workforce solutions department be requested to include the following participants in the working group:

          A. two working members of each job classification:

educational assistants, nutritional service professionals, education clerks, school bookkeepers, school secretaries, custodial and maintenance staff, health assistants, transportation professionals, security officers and crossing guards;

          B. two members of the American federation of teachers New Mexico;

          C. two members of the national education association New Mexico;

          D. two members of communications workers of America;

          E. two members of the New Mexico school boards association;

          F. two members of the New Mexico school superintendents association; and

          G. two members of the New Mexico parent teacher association; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the working group be requested to seek, where possible, representation from both rural and urban districts and that participants in the working group be requested to represent both beginning and experienced school employees; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the working group be requested to report its findings and recommendations to the legislative education study committee by November 1, 2020; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the governor, the secretary of higher education, the secretary of public education, the secretary of workforce solutions and the chair of the legislative education study committee.

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