SENATE BILL 417

56th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2023

INTRODUCED BY

Craig W. Brandt

 

 

 

 

 

AN ACT

RELATING TO SCHOOL PERSONNEL; CREATING A VOCATIONAL EDUCATION LICENSURE TRACK FOR TEACHERS.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

     SECTION 1. A new section of the School Personnel Act is enacted to read:

     "[NEW MATERIAL] PRELIMINARY VOCATIONAL EDUCATION LICENSE--MENTORSHIP REQUIREMENT--REQUIREMENTS FOR LICENSURE.--

          A. A preliminary vocational education license is a provisional three-year license for beginning or new vocational or career technical education teachers that requires as a condition of licensure that the licensee undergo a formal mentorship program for at least one full school year and an annual intensive performance evaluation by a school administrator for each year the licensee holds a preliminary vocational education license before applying for a professional vocational education license.

          B. Each public school, in accordance with department rules, shall provide for the mentorship and evaluation of preliminary vocational or career technical education teachers. At the end of each year and at the end of the license period, the teacher shall be evaluated for competency. If the preliminary vocational or career technical education teacher fails to demonstrate satisfactory progress and competence annually, the teacher may be terminated as provided in Section 22-10A-24 NMSA 1978. If the preliminary vocational or career technical education teacher has not demonstrated satisfactory progress and competence by the end of the three-year provisional period, the teacher shall not be granted a professional vocational education license.

          C. The department shall grant a preliminary vocational education license to an applicant who is at least eighteen years of age who:

                (1) has five years or more of experience in the vocational field in which the person teaches; and

                (2) meets other qualifications for preliminary vocational education licensure, including clearance of the department-required background check."

     SECTION 2. A new section of the School Personnel Act is enacted to read:

     "[NEW MATERIAL] PROFESSIONAL VOCATIONAL EDUCATION LICENSE--QUALIFICATIONS.--

          A. A professional vocational education license is a nine-year license granted to a vocational or career technical education teacher who meets the qualifications provided in Subsection B of this section and who annually demonstrates vocational or career technical education instructional leader competencies. If a professional vocational education licensed teacher does not meet essential competency in a given school year, the school district shall provide the teacher with additional professional development and peer intervention during the following school year. If by the end of that school year the teacher fails to demonstrate essential competency, a school district may choose not to contract with the teacher to teach in the classroom.

          B. The department shall grant a professional vocational education license to an applicant who has successfully taught at least one year, but no more than three years, with a preliminary vocational education license, and who:

                (1) completes an advanced professional development program consisting of at least one hundred fifty hours of department-approved professional development in instructional competencies provided by the public school in which the licensee teaches;

                (2) provides documentation from an accredited higher education institution of the applicant's eligibility to teach dual credit courses at the post-secondary level in the field in which the person is teaching; or

                (3) completes a department-approved career technical education training certificate course of study that is a minimum of sixteen credit hours at an accredited higher education institution."

     SECTION 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.--The effective date of the provisions of this act is July 1, 2023.

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