Some Facts on 3-Tier Licensure System

RE: EDITORIAL “State Must Revamp Its 3-Tier Teacher License System”

Short memories and politics always trump fact and truth. Sadly, this is the same problem that infects most of the debates about public schools. Evidence and research are ignored; ideology and opinion are the only things making headlines.

Fact: The three-tiered licensure system was designed to attract and retain teachers in New Mexico. The data and research presented to the Legislature at the time showed how we were losing N.M.-trained teachers to neighboring states at an alarming rate.

Two related facts: The system accomplished that goal and attracting and retaining qualified teachers is good for kids.

Fact: The system was designed to advance teachers based on an exhibition of competence. It was designed to emulate the National Board process, a process hailed as exemplary by the Journal just months ago.

In fact, as I put down the article detailing the Legislative Finance Committee’s objections to the three-tiered system, I picked up a national education journal containing an article by one of the most respected and knowledgeable educators in the country, Linda DarlingHammond, who cites the New Mexico licensure system as one that other states should aspire to.

“New Mexico has already created a three-tiered licensure system at the state level, with locally aligned on-the-job evaluations. Based on a portfolio modeled on the National Board process, providing evidence of performance in three areas — instruction, student learning and professional learning — teachers must demonstrate increasing competence in order to progress from Provisional Teacher (first three years) to Professional Teacher to Master Teacher ... This has created an aligned system that focuses teachers on what their students learn as a result of their teaching decisions and on how they can learn to improve their effectiveness.”

Fact: Darling-Hammond understands New Mexico’s system better than New Mexico’s Legislative Finance Committee.

... Instead of spinning research that was poorly done in the first place, the LFC should be speaking to the thousands of teachers who have completed the system and be asking them apples-to-apples questions. What did you learn by advancing through the system? Is the system helping to retain you in the profession? In what way can we, as legislators, better enhance this system to keep you in the profession? ... ELLEN BERNSTEIN President, Albuquerque Teachers

Federation Albuquerque