New Mexico Teachers Deserve Paid Leave | Santa Fe News

New Mexico teachers are left out in the cold when it comes to paid parental leave—while other state workers get it, educators must dip into their own vacation or sick days, or risk missing work during critical moments like childbirth. A bill last session aimed to fix this by offering up to 12 weeks of paid leave plus funding for substitutes, but it died without a hearing. With teaching overwhelmingly female and many leaving for family reasons, this gap hurts recruitment and retention—replacing a teacher can cost up to $25,000. States like Delaware and Arkansas already offer this benefit, and 16 others require it, proving it’s not just fair—it’s essential for keeping classrooms full and students learning. It’s time New Mexico catches up. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/ffbf8bf268558c10