1. A. The department shall require a person seeking licensure or reciprocity in elementary, special, early childhood or secondary education to have completed the following minimum requirements in the college of arts and sciences:

   1. (1) nine semester hours in communication;
   2. (2) six semester hours in mathematics;
   3. (3) eight semester hours in laboratory science;
   4. (4) nine semester hours in social and behavioral science; and
   5. (5) nine semester hours in humanities and fine arts.
2. B. In addition to the requirements specified in Subsections A and C of this section, the department shall require that a person seeking standard or alternative elementary licensure shall have completed six hours of reading courses and six hours of mathematics methods courses. A person seeking standard or alternative secondary licensure shall have completed three hours of reading courses in subject matter content and, if seeking a mathematics endorsement, six hours of mathematics methods courses. The hours of mathematics methods required by this 2026 act shall apply to licenses issued on or after July 1, 2028.
3. C. Except for licensure by reciprocity, the department shall require, prior to initial licensure, no less than sixteen weeks of student teaching, a portion of which shall occur in the first thirty credit hours taken in the college of education and shall be under the direct supervision of a teacher and a portion of which shall occur in the student's senior year with the student teacher being directly responsible for the classroom.
4. D. Nothing in this section shall preclude the department from establishing or accepting equivalent requirements for purposes of reciprocal licensure or minimum requirements for alternative licensure.
5. E. Vocational teacher preparatory programs may be exempt from Subsections A through C of this section upon a determination by the department that other licensure requirements are more appropriate for vocational teacher preparatory programs.
6. F. Before December 31, 2021, the department shall create a license endorsement in secondary computer science available to all teachers who hold a valid license and demonstrate sufficient content knowledge in computer science as determined by the department. The department shall consult with computer science education experts with experience in creating or supporting computer science endorsement pathways when developing computer science endorsement requirements.

History: 1978 Comp., § 22-2-8.7, enacted by Laws 1986, ch. 33, § 8; 1987, ch. 225, § 1; 2001, ch. 255, § 1; 2001, ch. 261, § 1; recompiled and amended as § 22-10A-6 by Laws 2003, ch. 153, § 37; 2009, ch. 272, § 1; 2015, ch. 97, § 1; 2021, ch. 102, § 1; 2026, ch. 53, § 1.

ANNOTATIONS

Compiler’s notes. — The term "this act" means Laws 2026, ch. 53, which appear as 22-10A-6, 22-15E-1 to 22-15E-3, 22-15E-7, 22-15E-8, 22-15E-9.

Recompilations. — Laws 2003, ch. 153, § 37 recompiled and amended former 22-2-8.7 NMSA 1978 as 22-10A-6 NMSA 1978, effective April 4, 2003.

The 2026 amendment, effective May 20, 2026, increased mathematics requirements for teaching licensure or endorsement; in Subsection B, after "six hours of reading courses and" added "six hours of mathematics methods courses", and after "subject matter content" deleted "The department shall establish requirements that provide a reasonable period of time to comply with the provisions of this subsection" and added "and, if seeking a mathematics endorsement, six hours of mathematics methods courses. The hours of mathematics methods required by this 2026 act shall apply to licenses issued on or after July 1, 2028".

The 2021 amendment, effective June 18, 2021, provided for a license endorsement for secondary computer science for all teachers who hold a valid license and demonstrate sufficient content knowledge in computer science as determined by the public education department; and added Subsection F.

The 2015 amendment, effective July 1, 2016, increased the minimum requirements for persons seeking licensure or reciprocity in elementary special early childhood or secondary education; in Subsection A, after "elementary", added "special early childhood", deleted Paragraphs (1) through (6), and added new Paragraphs (1) through (5); and in Subsection C, after "no less than", deleted "fourteen" and added "sixteen".

The 2009 amendment, effective June 19, 2009, in Paragraph (3) of Subsection A, at the beginning of the sentence, added “nine hours in mathematics for elementary education and” and after “six hours in mathematics”, added “for secondary education”.

The 2003 amendment, effective April 4, 2003, substituted "Educational requirements for licensure" for "Certification requirements" in the section heading; substituted "licensure or reciprocity" for "certification" following "person seeking" near the beginning of Subsection A; in Subsection B substituted "licensure" for "certification" twice in the first sentence, and inserted "The state board shall establish requirements that provide a reasonable period of time to comply with the provisions of this subsection." at the end; in Subsection C inserted "Except for licensure by reciprocity," at the beginning, substituted "initial licensure" for "certification" following "prior to" near the beginning, and substituted "teacher" for "certified school instructor" following "supervision of a" near the middle; substituted "licensure" for "certification" twice in Subsection D; deleted former Subsection E and redesignated former Subsection F as present Subsection E; and substituted "licensure" for "certification" following "that other" near the middle of present Subsection E.

The 2001 amendment, effective June 15, 2001, added Subsection B and redesignated the remaining subsections accordingly; substituted "Subsections A and C" for "Subsections A and B" in Subsection E; and substituted "Subsections A through C" for "Subsections A and B" in Subsection F.