45th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2001
RELATING TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS; REQUIRING READING COURSES FOR TEACHER CERTIFICATION.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:
Section 1. Section 22-2-8.7 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1986, Chapter 33, Section 8, as amended) is amended to read:
"22-2-8.7. CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS.--
A. The state board shall require any person
seeking certification in elementary [and] or secondary
education to complete 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) six hours in mathematics;
(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 Subsection A of this section, the state board shall require that a person seeking standard or alternative elementary certification shall have completed six hours of reading courses, and a person seeking standard or alternative secondary certification shall have completed three hours of reading courses in subject matter content.
[B.] C. The state board shall require, prior to
certification, 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 certified school instructor
and a portion of which shall occur in the student's senior
year with the student teacher being directly responsible for
the classroom.
[C.] D. Nothing in this section shall preclude the
state board from establishing or accepting equivalent
requirements for purposes of reciprocal certification or
minimum requirements for alternative certification.
[D. The requirements in Subsections A and B of
this section shall apply to students first entering a college
or university beginning in the fall of 1986.]
E. Vocational teacher preparatory programs may be
exempt from Subsections A [and B] through C of this section
upon a determination by the state board that other
certification requirements are more appropriate for vocational
teacher preparatory programs."
Section 2. TEMPORARY PROVISION--APPLICABLE STUDENTS.--The requirements in Subsection B of Section 22-2-8.7 NMSA 1978 shall apply to students first entering a college or university beginning in the fall of 2001.