Legislative Session is very soon, as a matter of fact, it starts January 21st and continues until February 20th. This session we will be asking our legislators to create, promote and pass legislation that corresponds to the four pillars of a world-class education system: professionalism and respect, students as individuals, the right to succeed and sufficient funding. AFT NM will be posting updates regarding information, legislation and actions. The first update is below:
Legislative Update: 1/5/2013
The Legislative Finance Committee (LFC) which is comprised of Senators and Representatives from both parties and is tasked with analyzing spending for all state programs has issued recommendations for the 2015 budget. See the committee's press release at: http://www.
These recommendations include:
Increased support for early education, K-12 and higher education
Continued commitment to above the line, equalized funding
1.5%, across-the-board pay increase for all public school employees and an additional matching 1.5% to be allocated at the district level.
An additional 3% increase for educational assistants.
As we continue our fight to make education a priority and build a world-class education system in New Mexico, we are glad to see the recognition and support coming from LFC. It is important our lawmakers understand the importance of retaining educators, increasing funding for students equitably across the state and allowing districts to make local decisions about how best to serve their communities.
In Solidarity,
Stephanie Ly
AFT NM President
P.S. To receive updates and alerts via email, make sure you are signed up for the AFT NM e-newsletter. You can sign up at https://afl.salsalabs.com/o/
You can also find a link to these updates on the AFT NM website at http://nm.aft.org, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AFTNM and twitter at https://twitter.com/AFTNM