licensure levels; salary alignment. A. Teaching and school administration are recognized as professions, with all the rights, responsibilities and privileges accorded professions, having their first responsibility to the public they serve. The primary responsibilities of the teaching and site administration professions are to educate the children of this state and to improve the professional practices and ethical conduct of their members. B. The New Mexico licensure framework for teachers and school administrators is a progressive career system in which licensees are required to demonstrate increased competencies and undertake increased duties as they progress through the licensure levels. The minimum salary provided as part of the career system shall not take effect until the department has adopted increased competencies for the particular level of licensure and a highly objective uniform statewide standard of evaluation. C. A level one license is a provisional license that gives a beginning teacher the opportunity, through a formal mentorship program, for additional preparation to be a quality teacher. A level two license is given to a teacher who is a fully qualified professional who is primarily responsible for ensuring that students meet and exceed department-adopted academic content and performance standards; a teacher may choose to remain at level two for the remainder of the teacher's career. A level three-A license is the highest level of teaching licensure for those teachers who choose to advance as instructional leaders in the teaching profession and undertake greater responsibilities such as curriculum development, peer intervention and mentoring. D. An initial site administrator license is for teachers and instructional support providers who commence a new career path in site administration by becoming assistant school principals, school principals or charter school administrators. A professional site administrator license is given to an assistant school principal, school principal or charter school head administrator who is a fully qualified professional who may choose to remain at this level for the remainder of the assistant school principal's, school principal's or charter school head administrator's career. E. A superintendent license is the highest level of administrative licensure for those administrators who choose to undertake the responsibilities of leading a school district. Charter school governing bodies may choose to require head administrators to hold a superintendent license based on the needs of the school. F. All teacher and school administrator salary systems shall be aligned with the licensure framework in a professional educator licensing and salary system. G. A licensed school employee who holds a valid three-B license on July 1, 2029 shall be granted a professional site administrator license and a superintendent license. History: 1978 Comp., § 22-10A-4, enacted by Laws 2003, ch. 153, § 35; 2005, ch. 315, § 4; 2005, ch. 316, § 1; 2025, ch. 148, § 3.
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