Gov. Susana Martinez says she wants to boost the salary for new teachers as part of an $11.5 million package of proposals aimed at supporting teachers around the state and improving student achievement.
New Mexico consistently ranks at or near the bottom when it comes to education, and Martinez says increasing the pay for starting teachers by $2,000 will help make the state's recruitment efforts more competitive.
If approved by the Legislature, the governor says the starting pay for a teaching job will be $34,000 and any teacher currently earning less would receive a raise.
The Las Cruces Public Schools already pays starting teachers $34,000, but that is far behind other districts competing for talent. For instance, the El Paso Independent School District pays starting teachers $44,000.
Martinez's plan also calls for $2.3 million in funding to help teachers purchase classroom supplies through a debit-card program and $2.5 million for a mentoring program that will pair high-performing teachers with those who need help.
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