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Committee unanimously backs structured literacy bill aimed at boosting reading proficiency
Summary
Senate Bill 242, requiring structured-literacy training and materials for early-grade reading instruction with parent-notification and teacher training provisions, passed the Finance Committee after an amendment narrowed the mandatory training requirement to elementary-level teachers and related staff.
The Senate Finance Committee unanimously approved SB242 after an extended discussion and a technical amendment that narrowed some of the training requirements.
Senator Stewart, sponsor of the literacy bill, described the measure as a next step following statewide investments in reading programs: the bill requires structured‑literacy instruction components in early grades and ties teacher preparation and professional development to evidence-based approaches. Supporters framed the bill as a remedy for low reading proficiency in the state: testimony from education advocates and nonpartisan groups cited New Mexico’s low fourth‑grade reading scores and pointed to other states that adopted structured‑literacy approaches and later posted gains.
The committee adopted an amendment to limit the more intensive in-classroom hour requirement to elementary- and elementary‑level alternative teachers (removing a broader application that had inadvertently included distant subject areas). Proponents said the change clarifies the bill without changing its core goal.
Witnesses who testified in favor included representatives of Think New Mexico, New Mexico Kids Can and the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce; some parents and educators described classroom examples showing how explicit phonics instruction improves decoding and comprehension. One opposition witness on Zoom cautioned against a one-size-fits-all mandate and urged preserving local discretion in instructional decisions; the sponsor and other supporters said the bill provides templates, parent-notification forms and department-developed guidance to ease local implementation.
The committee recorded a unanimous due-pass recommendation 10–0. The bill requires the Public Education Department to design parent-notification templates and provide support materials to districts and charters. Supporters said the training provisions and parent-notification rules aim to help families know when students are not meeting reading benchmarks and access interventions earlier.
