SANTA FE – Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Tuesday issued the following statement on the release of the 2022 New Mexico Educator Vacancy Report, compiled and issued annually by the Southwest Outreach Academic Research Evaluation and Policy Center at New Mexico State University, which reported a 34% decrease in New Mexico’s teacher vacancy rate over the last year:

“This dramatic drop in teacher vacancies is a direct result of our investments in hardworking New Mexico educators. We’ve enacted record increases in educator pay, as well as made investments in student loan repayment programs for teachers. With the New Mexico Opportunity Scholarship, we’re making it more accessible and affordable for New Mexicans to go to school to become teachers in their own communities. More educators in classrooms means more high-quality instruction for New Mexico students, building the strongest possible educational foundation for future generations.”

This year’s report accounted for a drop in teacher vacancies of 358, from 1,048 in 2021 to 690 – a 34% improvement in just one year.

Gov. Lujan Grisham has enacted historic raises for New Mexico educators, increasing teacher salary minimums and delivering record raises for educators to make New Mexico teachers the highest paid in the region. While teacher vacancies increased nationwide amid the COVID-19 pandemic after a successful 23% reduction in New Mexico teacher vacancies in the first year of the Lujan Grisham administration, the 2022 report once again shows that Gov. Lujan Grisham’s efforts continue to successfully support, attract, and retain New Mexico educators in the classroom.

The 2022 report in its entirety can be found here.