School officials support bill addressing teacher sick leave

A bill allowing New Mexico teachers to take sick leave with less fear of penalties was cited by Clovis and Portales school administrators as legislation they would support.

House Bill 241, undergoing review in the New Mexico Senate Public Affairs Committee, ensures that "a teacher's use of up to 10 days of sick leave shall not affect a teacher's attendance record," according to the bill's legislation.

If the bill is approved in the Senate Public Affairs Committee, it will move on to the house floor to be approved then sent on to the Senate floor.

Currently, the possible consequence of taking more than three sick days is a reduction of the score on a teacher's evaluation, which according to Portales Municipal Schools Superintendent Johnnie Cain, could mean the difference between an exemplary and sub-par score.

"They're allowed three right now, and then after three, it takes points from their evaluation. If you happen to be a little closer in some other area, like testing, those two or three points you might lose on attendance might cause you some harm on your evaluation," said Cain.

When a teacher is sick, he added, they belong at home recovering, rather than in a classroom, where they may be a risk for their students and colleagues.

"There's nothing better than having teachers in the classroom, but at the same time, I don't want sick teachers in the classroom," he said. "Life happens, and you may need to take a few days off. Those (sick days) are something that we do provide as part of your employment. You get so many sick days a year, so when you need them, you can use them."

Clovis Municipal Schools Superintendent Jody Balch reported that his own teachers have felt they could have had a better evaluation if they had received the points they lost due to illness.

Balch said the initiative would grant teachers more professional courtesy and give them the knowledge that missing more days would mean losing more points.

"I think teachers would have the understanding and the thinking that they're gonna get the most points for that section of their evaluation," he said. "I am for anything that helps teachers right now. They're professionals; they should be treated as professionals."

The bill would provide an appropriate amount of leeway for teachers in the event of illness, according to Portales High School business teacher Tamara Price.

"I think that life happens, and not everything can happen when the summertime is under way. Life happens during the school year, and teachers need some days to take advantage of doctors' appointments and sick days and sick kiddos, and that sort of thing," she said.

Price emphasized the extent of teachers' efforts to prepare their classes in the event that they must be absent.

"Everyone in our district works hard to prepare for any substitute that they put in the classroom. When we return from being gone, I know, even the day after you have a substitute, you work to make sure your students aren't falling behind, and they're getting the education that they need," she said. "I think it's just important that just because a teacher may be out that day, it doesn't mean that there's not learning going on, and that the education process isn't moving forward."