HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL 78

47th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2006

INTRODUCED BY

Rick Miera

A JOINT MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE LEGISLATIVE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE TO STUDY THE MEDICAL, RETIREMENT AND OTHER BENEFITS PROVIDED TO THE EARLY CARE AND EDUCATION WORKFORCE.

     WHEREAS, professionally trained early childhood teachers and program directors are essential to ensuring quality programs are available for infants, toddlers and preschoolers; and

     WHEREAS, the turnover rate of teachers is very high, with the rate between twenty-two percent and thirty-three percent a year, according to the 2004 New Mexico early care and education workforce study; and

     WHEREAS, long-term, stable relationships are essential in the lives of the youngest children and the departure of teachers causes disruptions in early childhood programs and in the fabric of trust and connection developed over time between young children and their teachers; and

     WHEREAS, high-quality early childhood programs are necessary to ensure that children are ready for school when they enter kindergarten; and

     WHEREAS, when early child care and education teachers gain more education and acquire advanced degrees, they often leave early childhood programs to work in public schools, where salaries, benefits and working conditions are substantially better; and

     WHEREAS, the New Mexico early care and education workforce study indicates that one-third of early childhood teachers have no health insurance; and

     WHEREAS, many early childhood teachers are not eligible for insurance provided under the state coverage initiative because their incomes are more than 200 percent of the federal poverty level; and

     WHEREAS, the New Mexico early care and education workforce study participants listed higher pay and better benefits as the top factors that would make teachers and program directors more likely to remain in their jobs;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the legislative health and human services committee be requested to study the value and impact of providing medical, retirement and other benefits to early care and education teachers and directors, identify methods to deliver and finance benefits and report its findings and recommendations, if any, to the first session of the forty-eighth legislature; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this memorial be delivered to the chair of the legislative health and human services committee.