HOUSE BILL 22
55th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2021
INTRODUCED BY
Joy Garratt and Michael Padilla and Raymundo Lara
and Natalie Figueroa and Melanie Ann Stansbury
FOR THE LEGISLATIVE EDUCATION STUDY COMMITTEE
AN ACT
RELATING TO EDUCATION; EXPANDING WHO QUALIFIES FOR SCHOLARSHIPS UNDER THE GROW YOUR OWN TEACHERS ACT; PROVIDING PROFESSIONAL LEAVE TO PUBLIC SCHOOL EMPLOYEES WHO ARE RECIPIENTS OF SCHOLARSHIPS UNDER THE GROW YOUR OWN TEACHERS ACT.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:
SECTION 1. Section 21-21P-2 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 2019, Chapter 230, Section 2) is amended to read:
"21-21P-2. DEFINITIONS.--As used in the Grow Your Own Teachers Act:
A. "department" means the higher education department;
[B. "educational assistant" means a United States citizen and resident of New Mexico who has worked as an educational assistant in a public school for at least two years and is in good standing with the school district and who is enrolled in or accepted by an undergraduate teacher preparation program at a regionally accredited public post-secondary educational institution in New Mexico;
C.] B. "public school" includes constitutional special schools and state institutions and state agencies that educate children [and employ educational assistants];
C. "school employee" means a resident of New Mexico who is authorized to work in the United States and who has been employed by a public school in a position that works directly with students for at least two years and is in good standing with the school district and who is enrolled in or accepted by an undergraduate teacher preparation program at a regionally accredited public post-secondary educational institution in New Mexico; and
D. "teacher preparation program" means a program that has been formally approved as meeting the requirements of the public education department and that leads to level one teacher licensure, including a program in a two-year post-secondary educational institution that meets the requirements for a teacher education transfer module established pursuant to Subsection C of Section 21-1B-4 NMSA 1978."
SECTION 2. Section 21-21P-3 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 2019, Chapter 230, Section 3) is amended to read:
"21-21P-3. FUND CREATED--METHOD OF PAYMENT.--The "grow your own teachers fund" is created in the state treasury. The fund consists of money appropriated for scholarships pursuant to the Grow Your Own Teachers Act, earnings from investment of the fund, gifts, grants and donations to the fund. Money in the fund shall not revert at the end of a fiscal year. Money in the fund is subject to appropriation by the legislature to implement the provisions of the Grow Your Own Teachers Act. The fund shall be administered by the department. All payments of money for loans shall be made on warrants drawn by the secretary of finance and administration pursuant to vouchers signed by the secretary of higher education or the secretary's designated representative."
SECTION 3. Section 21-21P-4 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 2019, Chapter 230, Section 4) is amended to read:
"21-21P-4. [EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANTS] SCHOOL EMPLOYEES--TEACHER PREPARATION--PROFESSIONAL LEAVE.--
A. [An educational assistant] A school employee who wants to become a teacher may petition the public school in which the [educational assistant] school employee is employed to grant professional leave for college classes, examinations and practice teaching, as needed. The public school shall grant professional leave if the [educational assistant] school employee is a recipient of a scholarship pursuant to the Grow Your Own Teachers Act and the professional leave minimizes disruption to the school day. The public school may require school employees to make up hours in exchange for hours missed during the school day.
B. If [an educational assistant] a school employee who is accepted into or enrolled in a teacher preparation program offered by a regionally accredited public post-secondary educational institution in New Mexico does not live within a reasonable distance of the public post-secondary educational institution's campus, the public school shall allow the [educational assistant] school employee to use the distance education resources of the school district to take classes."
SECTION 4. Section 21-21P-5 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 2019, Chapter 230, Section 5) is amended to read:
"21-21P-5. CONDITIONS FOR ELIGIBILITY.--A scholarship may be awarded to [an educational assistant] a school employee who:
A. has not earned appropriate educational credentials to be licensed as a teacher by the public education department;
B. has demonstrated financial need consistent with the criteria promulgated by the department; and
C. has complied with other rules promulgated by the department to carry out the provisions of the Grow Your Own Teachers Act."
SECTION 5. Section 21-21P-6 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 2019, Chapter 230, Section 6) is amended to read:
"21-21P-6. SCHOLARSHIP AUTHORIZED--ADMINISTRATION--PREFERENCE IN SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS.--
A. The department shall administer the Grow Your Own Teachers Act and shall promulgate rules to carry out the provisions of that act. The department shall consult the public education department any time the department promulgates rules relating to the Grow Your Own Teachers Act.
B. Scholarships shall be awarded to qualified [educational assistants] school employees. Qualifications shall be determined by rule of the department.
C. The department shall allocate money to public post-secondary educational institutions based on a student need formula calculated according to income reported on the free application for federal student aid and on the number of students enrolled in each public education department-approved teacher preparation program at a New Mexico public post-secondary educational institution.
D. Public post-secondary educational institutions shall make awards to qualifying eligible students based on financial need in an amount not to exceed six thousand dollars ($6,000) per year for not more than five years as determined by rule of the department.
E. Money for the scholarship shall be placed in an account at the public post-secondary educational institution in the name of the [educational assistant] school employee, and the money may be drawn upon to pay educational expenses charged by the institution, including tuition, fees, books and course supplies."
SECTION 6. Section 21-21P-7 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 2019, Chapter 230, Section 7) is amended to read:
"21-21P-7. DURATION OF SCHOLARSHIP.--Each scholarship is for a period of one semester. A scholarship may be renewed, as long as the [educational assistant] school employee continues to meet the conditions of eligibility, until the [educational assistant] school employee graduates from a public post-secondary educational institution."
SECTION 7. Section 21-21P-8 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 2019, Chapter 230, Section 8) is amended to read:
"21-21P-8. TERMINATION OF SCHOLARSHIP.--A scholarship is terminated upon occurrence of one or more of the following:
A. the [educational assistant] school employee withdraws from the public post-secondary educational institution or from the teacher preparation program, or the [educational assistant] school employee fails to remain at least a half-time student;
B. the [educational assistant] school employee fails to achieve satisfactory academic progress; or
C. the [educational assistant] school employee is in substantial noncompliance with the Grow Your Own Teachers Act or the rules promulgated pursuant to that act."
SECTION 8. EFFECTIVE DATE.--The effective date of the provisions of this act is July 1, 2021.
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