Re: New teacher to New Mexico

Posted by rw on 10/09/05

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The testing is changing...kids used to take the "Terranova" test.
Now the tests are called something like "New Mexico Standards
Based Assessment" and it is a statewide test, not one of those
national ones. Sometimes there are other tests, too, but I don't
know the names because they're only some grade levels or the state
transitioned to a new one last year.

What grades are tested can change year to year, although I think
3-5 had to take the Standards Based tests. The middle and high
schools have different tests, too.

Whether you teach for the test here depends on the district and
school...you know, what the principal promotes. I mean, everyone
teaches to the test, but there are places here where it is not as
extreme as it is in Texas. I have a Leave of Absence this year,
but last year while I had to do certain things to prepare kids for
the test, I also had a lot of freedom in my teaching.

Pros to teaching in NM: there are some places you can do a
literature based curriculum, lots of cultural diversity (which can
also be a challenge), a new salary scale that is good for newer
teachers (but bad for those with 20 years of experience), health
insurance premiums are okay (at least in Albuquerque).

Cons: high poverty state, and so some schools have the
difficulties that come with that; lack of materials in some
schools; in Albuquerque the huge district size-- over 100
schools-- brings with it some chaos and craziness like large class
sizes in certain areas of town for months or lack of materials; it
can be more challenging to teach if you have students who just
moved from Mexico and don't speak any English (although the
district values it if you have an ESL endorsement).

I'd teach here over Texas anyday, but that's because I can't stand
the politics of Texas.

On 10/06/05, vmm wrote:
> Thank you rw for your help. I'm still a few questions about New
> Mexico teaching and testing. What is it called? Who is tested
> and when? Are all grades tested or just certain ones? What kind
> of subjects are tested? As for teaching in New Mexico, I would
> greatly appreciate any pros and cons you might have for
> teaching here. I know teaching in Texas means you teach for the
> test. Are there any sort of cons for teaching in New Mexico?
> Any input is greatly appreciated
> vmm
>
> On 9/23/05, rw wrote:
>> We don't have a test quite as "high stakes" as the TEKS, but
>> we do have tests. A big thing here (and, I'd imagine, all
>> over the country) is "Standards based"
>> learning/teaching/testing. Be ready to show how you will
>> design lessons to meet the state standards. You can get a
>> copy of the standards for each subject on the New Mexico
>> Department of Education website.
>>
>> ESL and Bilingual Education are also big. If you know
>> Spanish or Navajo, you might try to get a bilingual
>> endorsement once you're here. If you don't, you might try to
>> get the ESL endorsement added to your license. It can help
>> you get jobs and in some districts slightly higher pay. It's
>> about an extra 6 or 7 university courses.
>>
>> Different districts will use different curriculum. In
>> Albuquerque, the reading programs are "Balanced
>> Literacy," "Success For All" (usually at the poorer schools
>> or ones with bad principals), or "Four Blocks." Math is
>> often "Everyday Math" or "TERC Investigations" or other
>> programs that teach both concepts and computation. It may be
>> different in other cities.
>>
>> Good luck!
>>
>>
>>
>> On 9/21/05, vmm wrote:
>>> I am about to graduate in May from a Texas college with a
>>> degree in early childhood education. I will be married
>> soon
>>> after and will be moving to Alamogordo with to be with my
>>> husband to be. I will have a certification in Texas and
>>> have been looking into NM certification. Since all of my
>>> education has been about Texas and the way it's done here,
>>> I'm very curious about the differences between here and
>> NM.
>>> I'm curious about the testing, curriculum requirements, if
>>> there are any curriculm frameworks like the Texas
>> Essential
>>> Knowledge and Skills TEKS in Texas? Is there a website
>> that
>>> I can look at to learn more about how things are done in
>>> NM. Are there books I can buy? My concern is that I won't
>>> know how to do things in NM like I do Texas. For example
>>> lesson plans. In Texas we have to site and use the TEKS in
>>> our lesson plans. I am fairly familiar with them. If there
>>> is something similar in NM that I can start reading up on
>>> I'd like to know. Any help will be greatly appreciated.
>>> vmm

Posts on this thread, including this one

• New teacher to New Mexico, 9/21/05, by vmm.
• Re: New teacher to New Mexico, 9/23/05, by rw.
• Re: New teacher to New Mexico, 10/06/05, by vmm.
• Re: New teacher to New Mexico, 10/09/05, by rw.