44TH LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - FIRST SESSION, 1999

REQUESTING THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC EDUCATION TO STUDY THE FEASIBILITY OF PROVIDING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHERS ONE HOUR PER DAY OF PLANNING TIME.

WHEREAS, elementary school teachers, unlike many teachers at higher grade levels, lack scheduled time in the school day to plan their own classroom lessons and activities and to meet with other teachers for intra-grade or multi-grade planning; and

WHEREAS, creation of effective and engrossing lessons and activities as part of an overall plan for the school year requires both professional expertise and time devoted to planning; and

WHEREAS, a high level of cooperative planning among teachers in a school promotes a common understanding of the goals and objectives of the school and a more cohesive educational experience for the students; and

WHEREAS, planning time would afford an opportunity for teachers to devise strategies to address the increasingly serious problem of truancy by elementary school students; and

WHEREAS, enhancing the quality of students' elementary school experience is a critical factor in establishing future student success;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the state department of public education be requested to study the feasibility of and methods for providing elementary school teachers with one hour per day of paid planning time and report the results of the study to the legislative education study committee by October 31, 1999; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the superintendent of public instruction and the chairman of the legislative education study committee.