A statewide survey of teachers and administrators is underway to document and analyze how teachers and other educators view the teaching and learning conditions at their school. The anonymous survey by Teaching, Empowering, Leading and Learning (TELL) New Mexico is designed to provide valuable data for policymakers, educators,and stakeholders to help them make evidence-based decisions on policies and practices that will improve student achievement and teacher retention.

The TELL New Mexico Partners represent a wide array of organizations from across the state and were brought together under the leadership of University of New Mexico Provost Chaouki Abdallah as part of the University’s initiative to establish a world-class College of Education at UNM.

"This is a unique opportunity to bring all education partners together to help pave the path forward for our next generation of education practitioners. The results of the statewide survey will inform how we can best prepare classroom teachers and school leaders,” Abdallah said. TELL New Mexico Partners include New Mexico Public Education Department, New Mexico Coalition of Educational Leaders, New Mexico School Boards Association, National Education Association of New Mexico, New Mexico Association of Secondary School Principals, American Federation of Teachers New Mexico, and Albuquerque Teachers Federation.

Betty Patterson, President, NEA of New Mexico welcomes the opportunity to hear from school-based educators. “Research shows the connection of positive teaching conditions to positive student outcomes.” Patterson said.  “With TELL New Mexico we show we value the voices of the educators who work with children every day in our schools and want to hear from them as to the supports they say they have to do their jobs well.”

In the NM Tell survey, which runs through Feb. 20, all school-based, licensed public and tribal school teachers and principals will be asked to submit their perceptions on a variety of issues related to student achievement and teacher retention. Topics include the adequacy of facilities and resources, time, empowerment, school and teacher leadership, community support, managing of student conduct, professional development, mentoring and induction services.

By documenting and analyzing how public school educators view critical teaching and learning conditions, this initiative will provide each New Mexico school with its own data that can become a part of the ongoing improvement planning processes in schools, school districts, and at the state level. TELL New Mexico Survey data can be used to promote discussions about instruction, planning time, professional development, school improvement, and related policy issues at both the school and district levels.

“Our superintendents look forward to working with school leaders to use the data gathered in the TELL New Mexico Survey,” Dr. Gloria Rendon, executive director New Mexico Coalition of Educational Leaders said. “This will be another valuable tool in our data toolbox that drives instructional practices.”

New Teacher Center (NTC), a national organization dedicated to supporting the development of a high-quality teaching force, is administering the TELsurvey. NTC has conducted similar surveys in other states, hearing from more than one million educators since 2009. Results from the TELL New Mexico Survey will be analyzed and reported about five weeks after the close of the survey window. For more information and to track individual response rates by school, visit 2014 TELL New Mexico Survey.