WASHINGTON, June 24 -- Sen. Martin Heinrich issued the following news release:
U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) introduced the Indigenous Students Excel through Parity Act, bipartisan legislation to help improve teacher pay at Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) schools. New Mexico is home to 45 BIE-funded schools, which serve students from the state's 23 federally recognized Pueblos, Tribes, and Nations.
BIE schools are funded by Congress and distributed to schools through the Indian School Equalization Program (ISEP) formula. Years of underfunding of ISEP have made it difficult for BIE schools - particularly in rural communities - to offer competitive salaries for teachers and staff. As a result, BIE teach...