Teacher-Quality Bill Comes Down To Wire in New Mexico

By Jeff Archer

New Mexico lawmakers spent the final days of their legislative session late last week ironing out the details of sweeping education legislation that would dramatically increase teacher compensation, create new incentives for career advancement for educators, and alter the way schools are governed in the state.

But while many of the plan's key provisions have enjoyed backing from both teachers and business groups, the ultimate fate of the measure remained unclear amid last-minute debate over such issues as the inclusion of a pilot merit-pay plan for teachers and questions about the package's hefty price tag.

"I'm optimistic, but not overly optimistic," I.B. Hoover, an Albuquerque businessman who co-chaired the task force that proposed many of the provisions, said late last week. "I can't imagine any one item causing this reform bill...