REQUESTING THE COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION AND THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC EDUCATION TO DEVELOP COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENTS AT STATE INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND LOCAL SCHOOLS TO ALIGN WHAT STUDENTS LEARN WHEN EARNING THEIR TEACHING CERTIFICATES AND WHAT CERTIFIED TEACHERS NEED TO TEACH ONCE THEY ARE TEACHING IN THE CLASSROOM.

WHEREAS, many universities in the state of New Mexico have education departments where a student earns a teaching certificate; and

WHEREAS, many of the students who earn their teaching certificates at state universities graduate to teach in classrooms in local school districts in the state; and

WHEREAS, students who earn their teaching certificates benefit from courses that inform them as to the daily teaching requirements in the classroom once they graduate; and

WHEREAS, developing a collaborative partnership between education departments at state institutions of higher education and local schools will better prepare teachers by aligning what students who are earning their teaching certificates learn at the universities and what those same students will need to teach once they are certified teachers and teaching in local schools across the state;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the commission on higher education and the state department of public education be requested to develop collaborative partnerships between the education departments at state institutions of higher education and local schools to align what students learn when earning their teaching certificates and what certified teachers need to teach once they are teaching in the classrooms; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the executive director of the commission on higher education and the superintendent of public instruction.