1. A. A level one license is a provisional five-year license for beginning teachers that requires as a condition of licensure that the licensee undergo a formal mentorship program for at least one full school year and an annual intensive performance evaluation by a school administrator for at least three full school years before applying for a level two license.
2. B. Each school district, in accordance with department rules, shall provide for the mentorship and evaluation of level one teachers. At the end of each year and at the end of the license period, the level one teacher shall be evaluated for competency. If the teacher fails to demonstrate satisfactory progress and competence annually, the teacher may be terminated as provided in Section 22-10A-24 NMSA 1978. If the teacher has not demonstrated satisfactory progress and competence by the end of the five-year period, the teacher shall not be granted a level two license.
3. C. Except in exigent circumstances defined by department rule, a level one license shall not be extended beyond the initial period.

4. D. The department shall issue a standard level one license to an applicant who is at least eighteen years of age who:

   1. (1) holds a baccalaureate degree from an accredited educational institution;
   2. (2) has successfully completed a department-approved teacher preparation program from a nationally accredited or state-approved educational institution;
   3. (3) has passed the New Mexico teacher assessments or the New Mexico teacher portfolio, including for elementary licensure beginning January 1, 2013, a rigorous assessment of the candidate's knowledge of the science of teaching reading; and
   4. (4) meets other qualifications for level one licensure, including clearance of the required background check.

5. E. The department shall issue a standard level one vocational license to an applicant who meets the requirements of Subsection D of this section or to an applicant who is at least twenty-three years of age and who:

   1. (1) has five or more years of professional experience in the vocational field in which the applicant will teach; and
   2. (2) meets other qualifications for level one licensure, including clearance of a background check pursuant to Section 22-10A-5 NMSA 1978.
6. F. The department shall issue an alternative level one license to an applicant who meets the requirements of Section 22-10A-8 NMSA 1978.
7. G. The department shall establish competencies and qualifications for specific grade levels, types and subject areas of level one licensure, including early childhood, elementary, middle school, secondary, special and vocational education.
8. H. The minimum salary for a level one teacher is fifty-five thousand dollars ($55,000) 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.
9. I. After the issuance of a license, a license holder shall not be required to meet changed requirements to maintain the license until such time as the license expires and the license holder seeks renewal of the license.

History: 1978 Comp., § 22-10A-7, enacted by Laws 2003, ch. 153, § 38; 2005, ch. 315, § 5; 2005, ch. 316, § 2; 2010, ch. 113, § 1; 2011, ch. 95, § 1; 2018, ch. 72, § 1; 2019, ch. 206, § 21; 2019, ch. 207, § 21; 2022, ch. 28, § 1; 2023, ch. 128, § 1; 2025, ch. 145, § 1; 2025, ch. 146, § 1; 2025, ch. 149, § 2.

ANNOTATIONS

Cross references. — For the public education department, see 9-24-4 NMSA 1978.

2025 Multiple Amendments. — Laws 2025, ch. 145, § 1, effective July 1, 2025, Laws 2025, ch. 146, § 1, effective June 20, 2025, and Laws 2025, ch. 149, § 2, 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, § 2 as the last act signed by the governor is set out above and incorporates all amendments. The amendments enacted by Laws 2025, ch. 145, § 1, Laws 2025, ch. 146, § 1 and ch. 149, § 2 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-7 NMSA 1978, as amended by Laws 2025, ch. 145, § 1, removed an exceptions to the level one licensed teacher salary rate, Laws 2025, ch. 146, § 1, allowed the use of a teacher portfolio for level one licensure, and Laws 2025, ch. 149, § 2, increased the minimum salaries for a level one teacher.

Laws 2025, ch. 149, § 2, effective July 1, 2025, increased the minimum salary for a level one teacher; in Subsection H, deleted "fifty thousand dollars ($50,000)" and added "fifty-five thousand dollars ($55,000)".

Laws 2025, ch. 146, § 1, effective June 20, 2025, allowed the use of a teacher portfolio for level one licensure; in Subsection D, Paragraph D(3), after "teacher assessments" deleted "examination" and added "or the New Mexico teacher portfolio".

Laws 2025, ch. 145, § 1, effective July 1, 2025, removed an exceptions to the level one licensed teacher salary rate; in Subsection H, after "level one teacher" deleted "except for a teacher licensed pursuant to Subsection E 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 a new Subsection E and redesignated former Subsections E through G as Subsections F through H, respectively; in Subsection H, after "level one teacher", added "except for a teacher licensed pursuant to Subsection E of this section"; and added Subsection I.

The 2022 amendment, effective July 1, 2022, increased the minimum salary for a level one teacher; and in Subsection G, after "a level one teacher is", deleted "forty thousand dollars ($40,000)" and added "fifty thousand dollars ($50,000)".

2019 Amendments. — Laws 2019, ch. 206, § 21, effective June 14, 2019, increased minimum salary levels for level one teachers, and provided that teachers in an extended learning program or K-5 plus program shall receive additional salary for that teaching time; in Subsection G, after the subsection designation, deleted "With the adoption by the department of a highly objective uniform statewide standard of evaluation for level one teachers", after "level one teacher", deleted "shall be thirty-six thousand dollars ($36,000)" and added "is forty thousand dollars ($40,000)", and after the semicolon, added "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, § 21, 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 G, after the subsection designation, deleted "With the adoption by the department of a highly objective uniform statewide standard of evaluation for level one teachers", after "level one teacher", deleted "shall be thirty-six thousand dollars ($36,000)" 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. 207, § 29 provided that the provisions of Sections 21 through 24 of this act 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 one license; in Subsection G, deleted "Beginning", after "With the", deleted "2003-2004 school year, with the", after "teacher shall be", deleted "thirty thousand dollars ($30,000)" and added "thirty-six thousand dollars ($36,000)", and deleted Subsection H, which related to the requirement that teachers be evaluated by the 2006-2007 school year.

The 2011 amendment, effective June 17, 2011, in Subsection D, required that knowledge of the science of teaching reading be included in the assessment examination for elementary licensure beginning on January 1, 2013.

The 2010 amendment, effective May 19, 2010, in Subsection A, after "formal mentorship program", added "for at least one full school year".

The 2005 amendment, effective April 7, 2005, changed the level one license from a three-year license to a five-year license in Subsection A; required at least three full school years of formal mentorship and intensive performance evaluation before a person may apply for a level two license in Subsection A; and changed the period of time within which to demonstrate progress and competence from three years to five years.