HOUSE BILL 322

49th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2009

INTRODUCED BY

Janice E. Arnold-Jones

AN ACT

RELATING TO SCHOOL PERSONNEL; INCREASING THE MATHEMATICS REQUIREMENT FOR PERSONS SEEKING LICENSURE OR RECIPROCITY IN ELEMENTARY EDUCATION.

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

     Section 1. Section 22-10A-6 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1986, Chapter 33, Section 8, as amended) is amended to read:

     "22-10A-6. EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR LICENSURE.--

          A. The [state board] department shall require a person seeking licensure or reciprocity in elementary or secondary education to have completed the following minimum requirements in the college of arts and sciences:

                (1) twelve hours in English;

                (2) twelve hours in history, including American history and western civilization;

                (3) nine hours in mathematics for elementary education and six hours in mathematics for secondary education;

                (4) six hours in government, economics or sociology;

                (5) twelve hours in science, including biology, chemistry, physics, geology, zoology and botany; and

                (6) six hours in fine arts.

          B. In addition to the requirements specified in Subsections A and C of this section, the [state board] department shall require that a person seeking standard or alternative elementary licensure shall have completed six hours of reading courses, and a person seeking standard or alternative secondary licensure shall have completed three hours of reading courses in subject matter content. The [state board] department shall establish requirements that provide a reasonable period of time to comply with the provisions of this subsection.

          C. Except for licensure by reciprocity, the [state board] department shall require, prior to initial licensure, no less than fourteen weeks of student teaching, a portion of which shall occur in the first thirty credit hours taken in the college of education and shall be under the direct supervision of a teacher and a portion of which shall occur in the student's senior year with the student teacher being directly responsible for the classroom.

          D. Nothing in this section shall preclude the [state board] department from establishing or accepting equivalent requirements for purposes of reciprocal licensure or minimum requirements for alternative licensure.

          E. Vocational teacher preparatory programs may be exempt from Subsections A through C of this section upon a determination by the [state board] department that other licensure requirements are more appropriate for vocational teacher preparatory programs."

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