At a recent meeting of the Hobbs Municipal School Board, I stood proudly in front of Board Members and our community and congratulated three of our elementary school teachers for completing their National Board Certifications. These certifications, which are voluntary and extremely rigorous, are the gold standard of professional achievement in teaching, and educators who pursue this prestigious achievement engage in extensive analysis of their teaching methods, student learning outcomes, and content knowledge. Beyond individual classrooms, these master teachers elevate entire school communities by mentoring colleagues and modeling exemplary practices, creating ripple effects that extend educational excellence throughout districts and ultimately strengthen the teaching profession nationwide.
These three teachers bring the total number of National Board-Certified Teachers in the Hobbs Municipal Schools up to nine. While I am overjoyed to celebrate these teachers for their achievement, I am most proud of the fact that their efforts and their dedication to our students are not unique among Hobbs teachers, who are the backbone of our schools. They work incredibly hard to ensure our students have the support they need to succeed, often in the face of overwhelming obstacles that confront schools in every corner of our state.
It is no secret that New Mexico’s education system is facing difficult challenges–and one of them is recruiting and retaining high quality teachers. According to the Southwest Outreach Academic Research Center, New Mexico public schools had an estimated 751 teacher vacancies in September 2023. This must change, and part of that is ensuring that teachers have the support they need to be successful.
Here in Hobbs, we refuse to be complacent–we are taking advantage of the resources and partnerships available to us from the state and from businesses and organizations in our community and investing in the most important tool we have to impact students’ lives: our teachers.
That work begins as soon as we bring new educators into our school system, with a robust and individualized mentorship program to support new teachers as they integrate into their classroom. Every new teacher in our district is paired with an experienced mentor who provides guidance, support, and practical wisdom that cannot be found in textbooks alone. This relationship-based approach ensures that our newest educators have the resources they need to ensure students thrive from day one in the classroom.
We also know that in order to retain our teachers, we need to provide ongoing opportunities for professional growth and excellence–like the National Board Certifications–and that’s where our community partners come in. That’s why, in addition to supporting them through the Certification assessment process, we partner with the Permian Strategic Partnership to make sure that teachers have the financial resources they need to complete the rigorous evaluation process.
And the results speak for themselves: research consistently demonstrates that students taught by Nationally Board Certified educators achieve at higher rates than their peers—often equivalent to one to two additional months of instruction, and Certified teachers consistently rate higher in measurements of teacher effectiveness, bringing research-based practices into their classrooms and fostering environments where all students can thrive. The benefits are particularly significant for students from low-income backgrounds, ensuring our teachers are focused on supporting students who historically struggle the most. By supporting our teachers in pursuing this certification, we're ensuring that Hobbs students receive instruction from some of the nation's most accomplished educators.
Additionally, our district hosts monthly leadership meetings with district principals focused on identifying and sharing best teaching practices and enhancing teacher effectiveness in the classroom. These meetings help ensure that innovative approaches from one classroom are integrated across Hobbs schools, not only providing educators access to proven instructional techniques and classroom management strategies but also ensuring our students throughout the district benefit from consistently high-quality instruction, regardless of which school they attend. The result is comprehensive improvement in student achievement, as successful teaching practices reach more classrooms and impact more young learners.
As superintendent, I've had the privilege of seeing firsthand the transformation that occurs when teachers are given the tools, training, and trust they need to excel, not only improving our educational outcomes but also building sustainable career paths that keep our best teachers engaged and committed to Hobbs Municipal Schools. I've seen veteran educators discover renewed passion for teaching and new teachers quickly develop into confident professionals. Most importantly, I've seen the positive impact these changes have on our students, who deserve nothing less than the very best education we can provide.
There is a lot of work to be done to recruit and retain teachers across our state, and Hobbs’ investment and focus on supporting our educators is replicable across New Mexico. By prioritizing teacher development today, we create better outcomes for our students tomorrow. That's a commitment worth making.
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