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New Mexico Teachers Chatboard

NMTA in School Counseling

by Lynda

Sep 3, 2008

I need info from anyone who has taken the NMTA for School Counselor (Field 34)

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Changing careers

by David in NM

Sep 28, 2008

I am retiring as an attorney after 28 years and I'd like to teach HS for maybe 5 years before I retire completely. My undergrad degree is in 2nd Education, English. I am signed up to take the Basic Skills and the Secondary skills tests in November. The subject area tests will be done in January.

I have the NMTA study guides from Morrison ...See More

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Frank What I'd like to know is whether the pay scale treats JDs as doctors' degrees. I too am an attorney, but likely to retire as an economist in a couple of years, and I too am interested in teaching, although math seems more likely for me. Ironically, it seems that the law and economics background is poor preparation for the exams in teaching social s...See More

Nov 7, 2008

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Micro Society Teachings

by pintada kid

Oct 6, 2008

What our Nation needs is a Micro Society way of teaching our kids. We still need Math and English and History but we need to make it interesting and let kids go in to Bank Cubicles or Insurance or Credit Cards or Automobile Cubicles and learn the Tricks all these big Companies use and one day one can be the Banker the next day he can be the Custome...See More

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Frank I think you have combined two key issues, and might be better served by separating them, and addressing them serially. The first issue is what do we want to have students learn in our schools. On the surface that might appear to be a trivial question, but schools teach much more than facts, and need to make decisions about waht they want to teach, ...See MoreI think you have combined two key issues, and might be better served by separating them, and addressing them serially. The first issue is what do we want to have students learn in our schools. On the surface that might appear to be a trivial question, but schools teach much more than facts, and need to make decisions about waht they want to teach, based on goals received through the political process, and the resources available to teach those subjects and skills.

Some education is value-based. One of the first reasons for public education in the United States was to wean new Irish Catholic immigrants away from Catholicism. Today, schools may teach humanistic values and tolerance, but they have served many other philosophies in the past. It was not so long ago that Native American children were deliberately cleaved from their cultures. Now we have other goals, which have broad support, and more than a few detractors, and which may at some future time seem as absurd as the doctrinal goals of public schools circa 1920 do now.

The best way to achieve the doctrinal goals depends on what those goals are. The greatest experts on how to promulgate that doctrine are the teachers who do that promulgating on a daily basis. I do not know what they would recommend. On the other hand the choice of doctrine would seem to be up to the voting public, through their representatives.

Some education is skill based. The choice of what skills to to teach depends on philosophical views of what a good citizen needs as skills, and often are driven by perceived needs of the economy. Labor economists have a pretty good track record of telling us what jobs the economy will create, proportionally, although the track record of predicting the overall size of the economy is less enviable. Even here, there can be philosophical choices. Some of these are implicit choices, and may not reflect concious thought. Schools are measured by the percentage of students going on to college. Going to college is great, but it is only one way to be a functional and productive member of society. We need craftsmen and we need enterpreneurs. A school curriculum designed to encourage entrepreneurs would look very different from a high school curriculum designed to prepare students to go to college and become teachers.

Were the choice made to teach students to be bank professionals, your idea of role playing would seem to me to be excellent, but even here, I woiuld suggest that experineced teachers know a lot of very useful things about teaching skills.

Further, real vocational education has a place in our society. I attended one of the finest vocational high schools in the United States, and although I was well prepared to enter a craft, I was equally well prepared to enter college. Several of my high school classmates are attorneys, at least one is a neuro surgeon (who boasts that he can fix brains or planes) and many others became professionals in other disciplines. I think the vocational program added an air of motivation that I do not see in my children's schools.

Finally, your idea of students teaching other students has a lot of merit. I have seen this kind of teaching used very effectively in the US Army. When an instreuctor in the Army teaches a task, he or she starts out with a pretest. Those soldiers who perform well on the pretest are made assistant instructors for the balance of instruction on the task at hand. Of course, only the students who excel at the pretest are made assistant instructors. Your example of using students who speak Spanish as instructors only works for those students whose grasp of Spanish includes good grammar and spelling.

Your ideas have merit, and I hope my suggestions help you to flesh them out and move them to implementation.

On 10/06/08, pintada kid wrote: > What our Nation needs is a Micro Society way of teaching our kids. We still need Math and English and History but we need to make it interesting and let kids go in to Bank Cubicles or Insurance or Credit Cards or Automobile Cubicles and learn the Tricks all these big Companies use and one day one can be the Banker the next day he can be the Customer. Also lots of Mexican kids know Spanish let them Teach the other Kids and Vice Versa. Have some kind of Way to Implement Rules for learning about the Predators out there like the Big Companies that have been taking advantage of the Little People and now is the time to learn all this in the Classroom. Theres lots of people out there with Talents to teach kids to read or write whether Teachers or Retired people as long as they have good police records. I would think that with the Unemployment going up so high the Government would be able to Pay Qualified People a little money since money is tight for everyone today and the Government is Giving the Money away to the Poor Big Companies anyway. el pintada kid

Nov 7, 2008

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From Texas to New Mexico

by dejai

Oct 6, 2008

Hi, I am currently a second year teacher in Texas---second career after 16 years in child welfare. I love teaching....and I love New Mexico. Therefore, I am beginning plans to move and have already applied for next school year believe it or not. I just wanted to go on and get my app on file. Any tips or info to share? I think the pay is quite low i...See More

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rw As a single person, I not only lived in Albuquerque on $30K but I paid off $5K a year in college/car loans while doing it and put some towards retirement. But it's harder in Santa Fe than Albuquerque, and the rents have been going up. In the rural areas rents will be prett ylow. It also depends on your lifestyle. I didn't travel or buy electronics/...See More

Jan 17, 2009

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just wondering Where in TX are you teaching that pays a second year teacher that much?

Feb 5, 2009

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Subject Endorsements.....?

by Alex

Oct 23, 2008

I have been working on my General Ed (K-8) bachelor's degree for 2 years, although I took a few more electives than I probably should have. The degree program I am taking gives subject endorsements with 24 credit hours of coursework on that subject. Anyway, I want to get both science and math endorsements for my teaching license, (when I get it) an...See More

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MOM On 10/23/08, Alex wrote: > I have been working on my General Ed (K-8) bachelor's degree > for 2 years, although I took a few more electives than I > probably should have. The degree program I am taking gives > subject endorsements with 24 credit hours of coursework on > that subject. Anyway, I want to get both science and math > e...See More

Oct 26, 2008

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Oct 26, 2008

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Getting a license with a non-related bachelor's degree

by Magen

Oct 23, 2008

I have a bachelor's degree from UNM in journalism, and now I am considering becoming an elementary school teacher. I've researched online how to do this, but can't seem to get a straight answer on exactly which route to take. I know I have to take the licensure tests, but do I also have to complete one of these "alternative licensure" programs? If ...See More

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MOM On 10/23/08, Magen wrote: > I have a bachelor's degree from UNM in journalism, and now > I am considering becoming an elementary school teacher. > I've researched online how to do this, but can't seem to > get a straight answer on exactly which route to take. I > know I have to take the licensure tests, but do I also have > to com...See More

Oct 26, 2008

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tazmommy I have gone around and around figuring this out. There are many programs (two year) that will get you into the class room teaching. The trick is that to be admitted to many of the programs you need to have a teaching job first. The below PDF has been very helpful.

[link removed]

The Transition To Teach program will pay for your c...See More

Nov 15, 2008

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Considering Re-location... Would really appreciate any help

by CO Music Teachers

Nov 1, 2008

My wife and I are considering relocating at the conclusion of this school year. I have a BA in Music Education from the University of Illinois and hold current Illinois and Colorado Teaching Licenses (K-12 Music). I am currently in my third year of teaching band and choir. My wife's degree is in music performance. She has experience as a PERA, and ...See More

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rw It sounds like you'd want to be in driving distance to Albuquerque or Santa Fe for all of those sorts of cultural experiences.... make sure you look into the charter and private schools and not just the public schools (more likely to have music teacher jobs)

Dec 16, 2008

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Living on a Teacher's Salary

by dejai

Nov 9, 2008

I'm in the process of planning a move to NM. I currently teach in Texas--second year teacher with a salary of about 44k. I know NM is lower, but can you live off it? I'm single and will have a kid in college who I'll be helping support. I'm a pretty simple person and I don't need a lot, but just want to be comfortable in a safe location. Looking in...See More

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Tom You may check with the reservation school districts in NW New Mexico. They often furnish teacher's with homes (teacherages) for very little.

On 11/09/08, dejai wrote: > I'm in the process of planning a move to NM. I currently > teach in Texas--second year teacher with a salary of about > 44k. I know NM is lower, but can you live o...See More

Nov 9, 2008

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rw By year 4 you should be able to make $40K if you play your cards right (get Level 2 licensure).

I lived off it fine but didn't have a kid or much debt...just check into the cost of rent where you're looking for jobs.

Dec 16, 2008

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Small Schools: Tackling the Dropout Crisis

by Think New Mexico

Dec 1, 2008

New Mexico's graduation rate ranks second from the bottom of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Only 54.1% of New Mexico's children graduate from high school, compared with a national average of 70.6%. An average of 77 students drop out each school day across New Mexico - nearly 14,000 per year.

Decades of research have shown that...See MoreNew Mexico's graduation rate ranks second from the bottom of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Only 54.1% of New Mexico's children graduate from high school, compared with a national average of 70.6%. An average of 77 students drop out each school day across New Mexico - nearly 14,000 per year.

Decades of research have shown that smaller schools have higher graduation rates, higher student achievement, lower levels of student alienation and violence, and higher levels of satisfaction among students, parents, principals, and teachers. Small schools also dramatically improve the performance of low-income children, which helps to narrow the persistent achievement gap.

The most effective high school size, according to the research, is 600-900 students. Yet, in 2007, more than two- thirds of New Mexico ninth graders entered high schools with populations larger than 1,000 students, and nearly a third entered high schools with more than 2,000 students.

Small schools are not only better for students, they also cost less to build and operate. Researchers have found that the most efficient schools are those serving 300-900 students. Schools larger than this experience "diseconomies of scale": inefficiencies and increased costs that result from increases in bureaucracy, security, and transportation. In addition, if the operational cost of a school is calculated "per graduate" rather than "per student," small schools are substantially more efficient than large schools because their dropout rates are much lower.

The capital costs of small schools can also be far less per student than those of large schools if the small schools are designed to take advantage of community educational resources like gymnasiums, pools, libraries, and sports fields, rather than duplicating these facilities. Several New Mexico charter schools have successfully applied this community-based model, at a savings of millions of taxpayer dollars.

Think New Mexico recommends that the legislature and Governor Richardson enact legislation requiring that: 1) any school receiving state capital outlay funding for construction must have a capacity of no more than 225 students per high school grade level, 120 students per middle school grade level, or 60 students per elementary school grade level; and 2) schools receiving additional state funds to serve at-risk students must establish smaller learning communities if they exceed these size limits and if they have not already done so.

During the 2009 legislative session, Think New Mexico will be championing legislation to cap the size of future public schools built in New Mexico and to establish smaller learning communities in the state's existing large schools by 2011.

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Frank If you were running a business and you started losing customers, what would you do? You would certainly review your pricing strategy, but that is far from all you would do. You would do consumer research to see why your customers were leaving. What surveys of dropouts have been done and what do the surveys show?

Ask the customers what they...See MoreIf you were running a business and you started losing customers, what would you do? You would certainly review your pricing strategy, but that is far from all you would do. You would do consumer research to see why your customers were leaving. What surveys of dropouts have been done and what do the surveys show?

Ask the customers what they want for an education product, and consider delviering that product. The customers are the students who are attending and who seem to be able to drop out of their own volition, the parents, who are apparently not as enthusiastic as they need to be to keep their kids in school, and the other taxpayres, who are willing to fund schools as long as schools create externalized benefits that accrue to the population not directly involved in schools.

Small schools may or may not be more efficient, but if the schools continue to deliver the same product, the result is not likely to vary much with school size. the differences in dropout rates may reflect that schools of a certain size are delivering a different product, perhaps more personalized, perhaps less bureaucratically stifled, and the better product is more likely to be the key.

On 12/01/08, Think New Mexico wrote: > New Mexico's graduation rate ranks second from the bottom > of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Only 54.1% > of New Mexico's children graduate from high school, > compared with a national average of 70.6%. An average of > 77 students drop out each school day across New Mexico - > nearly 14,000 per year. > > Decades of research have shown that smaller schools have > higher graduation rates, higher student achievement, lower > levels of student alienation and violence, and higher > levels of satisfaction among students, parents, > principals, and teachers. Small schools also dramatically > improve the performance of low-income children, which > helps to narrow the persistent achievement gap. > > The most effective high school size, according to the > research, is 600-900 students. Yet, in 2007, more than two- > thirds of New Mexico ninth graders entered high schools > with populations larger than 1,000 students, and nearly a > third entered high schools with more than 2,000 students. > > Small schools are not only better for students, they also > cost less to build and operate. Researchers have found > that the most efficient schools are those serving 300-900 > students. Schools larger than this > experience "diseconomies of scale": inefficiencies and > increased costs that result from increases in bureaucracy, > security, and transportation. In addition, if the > operational cost of a school is calculated "per graduate" > rather than "per student," small schools are substantially > more efficient than large schools because their dropout > rates are much lower. > > The capital costs of small schools can also be far less > per student than those of large schools if the small > schools are designed to take advantage of community > educational resources like gymnasiums, pools, libraries, > and sports fields, rather than duplicating these > facilities. Several New Mexico charter schools have > successfully applied this community-based model, at a > savings of millions of taxpayer dollars. > > Think New Mexico recommends that the legislature and > Governor Richardson enact legislation requiring that: 1) > any school receiving state capital outlay funding for > construction must have a capacity of no more than 225 > students per high school grade level, 120 students per > middle school grade level, or 60 students per elementary > school grade level; and 2) schools receiving additional > state funds to serve at-risk students must establish > smaller learning communities if they exceed these size > limits and if they have not already done so. > > During the 2009 legislative session, Think New Mexico will > be championing legislation to cap the size of future > public schools built in New Mexico and to establish > smaller learning communities in the state's existing large > schools by 2011.

Dec 2, 2008

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Susie.R.Marmom

by Concerned Parent

Dec 2, 2008

We may be moving and my child is suppose to attend this school, can anyone tell me about this school, besides the fact that it's a multi-track school? Thanks

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