Senate committee backs memorial to study Native American language certification program

The Senate Indian, Rural and Cultural Affairs Committee voted unanimously Wednesday to give Senate Memorial 9 a favorable recommendation, requesting the Legislative Education Study Committee (LESC) convene a working group to examine and improve the Native American language and cultural certification program known as the 5-20 agreements.

The memorial asks LESC to assemble tribal and state representatives, educators and other stakeholders to study implementation problems, professional-development renewals and other barriers to using 5-20-certified teachers in New Mexico public schools. "Secretary Rodriguez and I stand in technical support of this memorial and we believe that it's long overdue," said Dr. Patricia DeRue, deputy cabinet secretary for the Higher Education Department, during public testimony.

Supporters told the committee that the 5-20 framework—an agreement that allows tribes to issue language-teacher assessments and certifications recognized by the Public Education Department (PED)—helps preserve Indigenous languages by enabling tribal assessment and licensure. "Language in Indian country is losing day by day," said James Rivera, a tribal councilman for the Pueblo of Puyallup, adding that stronger certification and school support will help children use language at home and at school.

Testifiers and sponsors described recurring implementation problems at the district level: some districts do not permit language teachers to attend tribal professional-development sessions required for renewal; districts sometimes fail to work with tribes on curriculum and certification; and some language instructors report they are not treated the same as regular classroom teachers. Dr. Geneva Vicente, who described herself as a Dine language program director, said historical forces such as the boarding-school era contributed to language loss and that current bilingual-education efforts have revitalized instruction but still face operational barriers.

Sponsors said the memorial contains no appropriation and is intended to start conversations and produce recommendations. Committee members discussed whether the work should result in statute, formal policy, or targeted recommendations that avoid a one-size-fits-all mandate. "What we should do more is...working groups where it's half legislators, half non-legislators," said one legislator calling for a collaborative interim approach rather than embedding all details in statute.

The committee voted to give the memorial a due-pass recommendation; the vote was recorded 5-0. The memorial directs LESC to present findings and recommendations; sponsors said they expect the working group and a resulting report to inform future legislative or policy steps but contains no immediate funding or enforcement language.

Action and next steps: LESC will be asked to convene a working group to examine 5-20 implementation, renewal processes and district-tribal coordination. The committee did not appropriate funds; sponsors said they will work with legislative counsel and LESC staff to set membership, per diem and a timeline for the study.