Summary
New Mexico HB 2 (Open States or New Mexico Legislature) is the General Appropriation Act of 2013. The bill appropriates $1,500,000 to establish a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) initiative. The initiative will provide stipends to incentivize qualified teachers to teach STEM courses.
Legislative Analysis
HB 2 funds the STEM Teacher Initiative, created to help provide all students with a high quality education in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (grades 7-12) that promotes 21st century skills for college and career readiness.
The funds will provide a $5,000 stipend per year for two years to 125 highly effective STEM teachers to teach Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (grades 7-12) in hard to staff (low performing (D or F), rural, urban) schools. These funds can be used as a stipend to recruit STEM experts to teach in hard to staff schools or to attract and retain STEM teachers in hard to staff schools. The New Mexico Public Education Department’s Math and Science Bureau has issued a Request for Information (RFI) to all New Mexico public school districts, state chartered schools, and state-supported schools that have been determined as “hard to staff”.
Eligible teachers will:
- Hold a teaching assignment for the 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 school years that is 100% composed of courses in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics, grades 7-12, and approved by the PED. A teacher moving from one hard to staff school to another will not be eligible for the stipend.
- Hold or be eligible for an alternative NM teaching license with a Bachelors degree or higher in a STEM content area or hold an active NM teaching license with Mathematics and/or Science Endorsement and will have completed 2 years of successful, full-time teaching experience in approved STEM courses (grades 7-12) with a proven track record in improving student achievement in a STEM area.
- Have an understanding of the knowledge, practices, and processes of Common Core State Standards in Mathematics and/or NM State Science Standards and how curriculum may be organized to best serve diverse learners.
- Have an understanding of and the ability to use strategies for managing, assessing, and monitoring student learning to inform instruction.
Legislative History
Detailed Vote History: Legiscan | Open States
Approved by Governor Susana Martinez on 4/5/2013