1. A. A level three-A license is a nine-year license granted to a teacher who meets the qualifications for that level and who annually demonstrates instructional leader competencies. If a level three-A teacher does not demonstrate essential competency in a given school year, the school district shall provide the teacher with additional professional development and peer intervention during the following school year. If, by the end of that school year, the teacher fails to demonstrate essential competency, a school district may choose not to contract with the teacher to teach in the classroom.
2. B. The department shall grant a level three-A license to an applicant who has been a level two teacher for at least three years and holds a post-baccalaureate degree or national board for professional teaching standards certification; demonstrates instructional leader competence as required by the department and verified by the local superintendent through the highly objective uniform statewide standard of evaluation; and meets other qualifications for the license.

3. C. The department shall grant a level three-A license to an applicant seeking a level three-A vocational education license who does not meet the requirements of Subsection B of this section, but who otherwise is eligible for a level three-A license; provided that the applicant:

   1. (1) has been a level two teacher for at least three years;
   2. (2) provides documentation from an accredited higher education institution of the applicant's eligibility to teach dual-credit courses at the post-secondary level in the field in which the applicant is teaching; or
   3. (3) completes a department-approved career-technical education training certificate course of study that is a minimum of sixteen hours at an accredited higher education institution.
4. D. The minimum salary for a level three-A teacher is seventy-five thousand dollars ($75,000) for a standard nine and one-half month contract; provided that teachers in an extended learning time program or K-12 plus program shall receive additional salary at the same rate as their base salary for that teaching time.
5. E. The minimum salary for a counselor who holds a level three or three-A license as provided in the School Personnel Act and rules promulgated by the department shall be the same as provided for level three-A teachers pursuant to Subsection D of this section.

History: 1978 Comp., § 22-10A-11, enacted by Laws 2003, ch. 153, § 42; 2005, ch. 315, § 8; Laws 2005, ch. 316, § 5; 2007, ch. 303, § 1; 2007, ch. 304, § 2; 2009, ch. 117, § 1; 2015, ch. 74, § 1; 2015, ch. 103, § 1; 2018, ch. 72, § 3; 2019, ch. 206, § 23; 2019, ch. 207, § 23; 2022, ch. 28, § 3; 2023, ch. 128, § 3; 2025, ch. 145, § 3; 2025, ch. 149, § 4.

ANNOTATIONS

2025 Multiple Amendments. — Laws 2025, ch. 145, § 3, effective July 1, 2025, and Laws 2025, ch. 149, § 4, effective July 1, 2025, enacted different amendments to this section that can be reconciled. Pursuant to 12-1-8 NMSA 1978, Laws 2025, ch. 149, § 4 as the last act signed by the governor is set out above and incorporates both amendments. The amendments enacted by Laws 2025, ch. 145, § 3 and Laws 2025, ch. 149, § 4 are described below. To view the session laws in their entirety, see the 2025 session laws on NMOneSource.com.

The nature of the difference between the amendments is that Section 22-10A-11 NMSA 1978, as amended by Laws 2025, ch. 145, § 3, removed an exception to the level three-A licensed teacher salary rate, and Laws 2025, ch. 149, § 4, increased the minimum salary for a level three-A teacher.

Laws 2025, ch. 149, § 4, effective July 1, 2025, increased the minimum salary for a level three-A teacher; in Subsection D, deleted "seventy thousand dollars ($70,000)" and added "seventy-five thousand dollars ($75,000)".

Laws 2025, ch. 145, § 3, effective July 1, 2025, removed an exceptions to the level three-A licensed teacher salary rate; in Subsection D, after "level three-A teacher" deleted "except teachers licensed pursuant to Subsection C of this section" and after "extended learning time program or," deleted "K-5" and added "K-12".

The 2023 amendment, effective July 1, 2023, created a vocational education licensure track for teachers; added new Subsection C and redesignated former Subsections C and D as Subsections D and E, respectively; in Subsection D, after "level three-A teacher", added "except teachers licensed pursuant to Subsection C of this section"; and in Subsection E, after "Subsection", deleted "C" and added "D".

The 2022 amendment, effective July 1, 2022, increased the minimum salary for a level three-A teacher; and in Subsection C, after "a level three-A teacher is", deleted "sixty thousand dollars ($60,000)" and added "seventy thousand dollars ($70,000)".

2019 Amendments. — Laws 2019, ch. 206, § 23, effective June 14, 2019, increased minimum salary levels for level three-A teachers; in Subsection C, after the subsection designation, deleted "With the adoption by the department of a highly objective uniform statewide standard of evaluation for level three-A teachers", after "level three-A teacher", deleted "for a standard nine and one-half month contract shall be fifty-four thousand dollars ($54,000)" and added "is sixty thousand dollars ($60,000) for a standard nine and one-half month contract; provided that teachers in an extended learning program or K-5 plus program shall receive additional salary at the same rate as their base salary for that teaching time".

Laws 2019, ch. 207, § 23, effective June 14, 2019, provided that teachers in an extended learning program or K-5 plus program shall receive additional salary for that teaching time; in Subsection C, after the subsection designation, deleted "With the adoption by the department of a highly objective uniform statewide standard of evaluation for level three-A teachers", after "level three-A teacher", deleted "for a standard nine and one-half month contract shall be fifty-four thousand dollars ($54,000)" and added "is provided that teachers in an extended learning program or K-5 plus program shall receive additional salary at the same rate as their base salary for that teaching time".

Applicability. — Laws 2019, ch. 206, § 29 and Laws 2019, ch. 207, § 29 provided that the provisions of Sections 21 through 24 apply to school personnel contracted to provide services for summer 2019 K-5 plus programs in fiscal year 2019 and to all school personnel in fiscal year 2020 and subsequent fiscal years.

The 2018 amendment, effective May 16, 2018, increased the statutory minimum salaries for teachers with a level three-A license; and in Subsection C, after "contract shall be", deleted "fifty thousand dollars ($50,000)" and added "fifty-four thousand dollars ($54,000)".

2015 Amendments. — Laws 2015, ch. 103, § 1, effective June 19, 2015, added a new Subsection D.

Laws 2015, ch. 74, § 1, effective July 1, 2015, in the catchline, after "teachers", deleted "counselors and school administrators"; in Subsection C, after "one-half month contract shall be", deleted "as follows", deleted Paragraphs (1) through (4) and the designation from Paragraph (5), and deleted "for the 2007-2008 school year"; and deleted former Subsections D through G.

The 2009 amendment, effective June 19, 2009, in Paragraph (1) of Subsection E, deleted "has been a level three-A teacher for at least one year"; added "holds a level two license and meets the requirements for a level three-A license"; and added Paragraph (2) of Subsection E.

The 2007 amendment, effective June 15, 2007, amended Subsections F and G to implement the 2007 amendment of 22-10A-2 NMSA 1978.

The 2005 amendment, effective April 7, 2005, provided in Subsection A that if a level three-A teacher does not demonstrate competency in a school year, the school district shall provide the teacher with professional development and peer intervention during the following school year and that if by the end of that school year the teacher fails to demonstrate competency, the school district may choose not to contract with the teacher to teach in the classroom; and in Subsection F, provided that the minimum salary requirements apply to the 2007-2008 school year.