0001|                       HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL 38
    |
0002|     43RD LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - SECOND SESSION, 1998
    |
0003|                            INTRODUCED BY
    |
0004|                           JAMES G. TAYLOR
    |
0005|     
    |
0006|                                   
    |
0007|     
    |
0008|                                   
    |
0009|     
    |
0010|                           A JOINT MEMORIAL
    |
0011|     REQUESTING THE LEGISLATIVE EDUCATION STUDY COMMITTEE AND THE
    |
0012|     STATE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC EDUCATION TO DEVELOP
    |
0013|     RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE LEGISLATURE TO HONOR AND BUDGET FOR
    |
0014|     ENFORCEMENT OF ARTICLE 12, SECTION 8 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF
    |
0015|     NEW MEXICO REQUIRING TEACHER PROFICIENCY IN SPANISH.
    |
0016|     
    |
0017|          WHEREAS, Article 12, Section 8 of the constitution of New
    |
0018|     Mexico requires that "the legislature shall provide for the
    |
0019|     training of teachers in the normal schools or otherwise so
    |
0020|     that they may become proficient in both the English and
    |
0021|     Spanish languages, to qualify them to teach Spanish-speaking
    |
0022|     pupils and students in the public schools and educational
    |
0023|     institutions of the state, and shall provide proper means and
    |
0024|     methods to facilitate the teaching of the English language and
    |
0025|     other branches of learning to such pupils and students."; and
    |
<center>- 1 -</center>

0001|          WHEREAS, an attorney general's opinion published in 1968
    |
0002|     concluded that "this section does not require that all
    |
0003|     teachers in the state be proficient in both English and
    |
0004|     Spanish or that all teachers who teach Spanish-speaking pupils
    |
0005|     be proficient in both English and Spanish, [but rather] the
    |
0006|     clear intent is to teach English to Spanish-speaking students
    |
0007|     and to assure that the Spanish and English languages will
    |
0008|     always be available to prospective teachers in the teachers'
    |
0009|     colleges and that Spanish-speaking pupils will be provided the
    |
0010|     means and methods to learn the English language as well as
    |
0011|     other subjects of learning"; and
    |
0012|          WHEREAS, another attorney general's opinion in 1971 also
    |
0013|     said that "this section is a mandate to the legislature to
    |
0014|     provide teachers proficient in both English and Spanish to
    |
0015|     teach Spanish-speaking pupils [and] it does not require all
    |
0016|     teachers to have this proficiency";
    |
0017|          NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE
    |
0018|     STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the legislative education study
    |
0019|     committee and the state department of public education develop
    |
0020|     a plan and budget to implement and honor the provisions of
    |
0021|     Article 12, Section 8 of the constitution of New Mexico; and
    |
0022|          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the plan and its
    |
0023|     recommendations be submitted to the legislature by January 1,
    |
0024|     1999; and
    |
0025|          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be
    |
<center>- 2 -</center>

0001|     transmitted to the director of the legislative education study
    |
0002|     committee staff and to the superintendent of public
    |
0003|     instruction.
    |
0004|                                       
    |