Summary:

 House Bill 156 increases the minimum salaries for teachers, school counselors and school administrators. 

Legislation Overview:

 House Bill 156 amends Public School code in Section 1, Section 2 and Section 3 to raise the teacher salary minimum by $5,000 per contract.

Level One Licensure:
Section 1, Subsection H: The minimum salary for a level one teacher, except for a teacher licensed pursuant to Subsection E of this section, is $55,000 for a standard nine and one-half month contract; provided that teachers in an extended learning time program or K-5 plus program shall receive additional salary at the same rate as their base salary for that teaching time.

Level Two Licensure
Section 2, Subsection D: The minimum salary for a level two teacher, except for those teachers with a vocational education license, is $65,000 for a standard nine and one-half month contract; provided that teachers in an extended learning time program or K-5 plus program shall receive additional salary at the same rate as their base salary for that teaching time. 

Level Three Licensure
Section 3, Subsection D: The minimum salary for a level three-A teacher, except teachers licensed pursuant to Subsection C of this section, is $75,000 for a standard nine and one-half month contract; provided that teachers in an extended learning time program or K-5 plus program shall receive additional salary at the same rate as their base salary for that teaching time. 
Section 4 provides an effective date of July 1, 2025. 

Current Law:

 Level one teacher: Section 22-10A-7 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 2003, Chapter 153, Section 38, as amended) currently $50,000
Level two teacher: Section 22-10A-10 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 2003, Chapter 153, Section 41, as amended) currently $60,000
Level three teacher: Section 22-10A-11 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 2003, Chapter 153, Section 42, as amended) currently $70,000 

Amendments:

 House Bill 156 (HB 156) providing teacher salary increases is amended by the Senate Finance Committee to require the science of reading to be taught in teacher preparation programs as follows:
The title of HB 156 is expanded to include: REQUIRING THE SCIENCE OF READING TO BE TAUGHT IN PUBLIC POST-SECONDARY TEACHER PREPARATION PROGRAMS SO THAT LEVEL ONE APPLICANTS WILL BE BETTER PREPARED TO TEACH PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS. 
A new Section 1 is inserted and succeeding sections are renumbered accordingly. The new Section 1 includes definitions and provisions for teacher preparation programs as follows:
SECTION 1. A new section of Chapter 21 NMSA 1978 is enacted to read: "[NEW MATERIAL] TEACHER PREPARATION PROGRAMS--TEACHING STUDENTS HOW TO TEACH READING. 
A. As used in this section: 
(1) “high-quality instructional materials" means instructional materials that are a comprehensive full course of study that is research-based, culturally and linguistically relevant and designed to support equitable learning for all students;
(2) "science of reading" means an interdisciplinary body of scientifically based research about reading and issues related to reading and writing; 
(3) "scientifically based reading instruction" means instruction grounded in empirical research, including explicit and systematic instruction in phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension and the science of reading; and 
(4) "structured literacy" means an evidence-based approach to teaching oral and written language aligned with the science of reading that is based on the science of how children learn to read and is characterized by explicit, systematic, sequential, cumulative and diagnostic instruction in phonology, sound-symbol association, syllable instruction, morphology, syntax and semantics. 
B. Structured literacy is the primary approach to teaching foundational literacy skills for all learners. Literacy instruction for English language learners shall include evidence-based practices for bi-literacy, differentiation and culturally and linguistically responsive instruction. Public school students shall be taught to read using science of reading, structured literacy and scientifically based reading instruction. 
C. Each teacher preparation program shall offer courses and student teaching sufficient for level one licensure that: 
(1) includes science of reading, structured literacy and scientifically based reading instruction; (2) for elementary teacher candidates, provides a minimum of one hundred hours of supervised field experience in public school classrooms implementing the science of reading, structured literacy and scientifically based reading instruction, including:
planning and teaching reading lessons focused on phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension; and 
(b) observing and applying scientifically based reading instruction techniques under the supervision of a teacher trained in the science of reading; and 
(3) includes training and teaching teacher candidates to identify when students are not reading at grade level. 
D. In collaboration with public post-secondary teacher preparation programs, the Public Education Department (PED) shall develop specific teacher preparation standards related to the five components of the science of reading, including the knowledge and skills teachers need to support struggling readers and those with dyslexia as well as the knowledge and skills teachers need to support English language learners. 
E. As part of its review process, the PED shall monitor all teacher preparation programs, and programs that fail to adhere to the science of reading shall be required to submit corrective action plans and may face the loss of state approval. 
F. As part of the state approval review process for teacher preparation programs, each program shall provide evidence of its alignment with New Mexico's statutory and regulatory requirements for structured and systematic science of reading instruction. 
G. Initial approval and ongoing review shall include:
evaluation of coursework and field experiences to ensure that teacher candidates are prepared (1) to implement evidence-based reading instruction practices aligned with the science of reading; 
(2) an assessment of faculty qualifications and professional development related to scientifically based reading instruction methodologies;
(3) documentation of how the program integrates state-adopted literacy standards, including explicit instruction in phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary development, fluency and comprehension; 
(4) the collection of data demonstrating the effectiveness of graduates in applying science of reading practices during their first three years of teaching, as available through performance-based assessments or other state-approved measures; and 
(5) evidence of partnerships with kindergarten through twelfth grade public schools to ensure high-quality student teaching and supervised field experiences that emphasize science of reading instructional practices and the use of high-quality instructional materials during student teaching and other supervised field experiences. 
H. The PED shall provide guidelines for evaluating compliance with science of reading instruction requirements during the review process. These guidelines shall include minimum performance thresholds for coursework, assessments and candidate outcomes. 
I. Programs failing to meet the established science of reading instruction standards may be placed on a corrective action plan with specific requirements and time lines for achieving compliance. Noncompliance may result in probationary status or the loss of state approval. 
J. As part of an annual accountability report, teacher preparation programs shall include: 
(1) a summary of program changes made to enhance science of reading instruction aligned to the standards; 
(2) data on teacher candidate performance in science of reading instruction-related coursework and clinical experiences; and 
(3) graduate impact data on student literacy outcomes, where available.