New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez has signed an executive order that will allow state workers to take time off to attend parent-teacher conferences.
The governor signed the order Wednesday and urged other local government agencies and private employers to make similar accommodations for their workers.
Martinez says parents are the best partners teachers can have and she wants to encourage parents to be as engaged as possible in their children's education.
Under the governor's order, state employees can take up to eight hours of administrative leave during the school year to attend parent-teacher conferences. That's four hours each for the fall and spring semesters.
The state personnel office still has to write guidelines for how the leave will be applied for and administered.
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.