Section 21-21P-4 - School employees; teacher preparation; professional leaveA. A school employee who wants to become a teacher may petition the public school in which the school employee is employed to grant professional leave for college classes, examinations and practice teaching, as needed. The public school shall grant professional leave if the school employee is a recipient of a scholarship pursuant to the Grow Your Own Teachers Act and the professional leave minimizes disruption to the school day. The public school may require school employees to make up hours in exchange for hours missed during the school day.B. If a school employee who is accepted into or enrolled in a teacher preparation program offered by a regionally accredited public post-secondary educational institution in New Mexico does not live within a reasonable distance of the public post-secondary educational institution's campus, the public school shall allow the school employee to use the distance education resources of the school district to take classes.Amended by 2021, c. 11,s. 3, eff. 7/1/2021.