Rep. Gabe Vasquez Secures Win for Tribal Teachers in Government Funding Bill

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (N.M.-02) secured a provision based on his Parity for Tribal Educators Actin the Fiscal Year 2024 government funding bill signed into law last month. The legislation included a directive to the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) to begin the process of extending federal retirement benefits to teachers at Tribally-controlled schools. 

Vasquez’s bill, the Parity for Tribal Educators Act, would provide teachers and staff at Tribally-controlled schools the same federal retirement benefits as teachers at BIE schools. This initiative advanced in the government funding bill that was signed into law in March. 

“Having this language based on my bill signed into law is a huge step in the right direction to making sure Tribal teachers receive the benefits they deserve,” said Vasquez. “The Parity for Tribal Educators Act is about giving every child in New Mexico a fair shot at success by keeping their schools staffed with quality educators. I will keep working every day to deliver for Indian Country.”

“When Rep. Gabe Vasquez announced the Parity for Tribal Educators Act, it was a moment of hope and healing for our community,” said Treva Riley, an educator at Laguna Pueblo. “Tribally controlled schools like ours have struggled to attract and retain talented educators for too long due to disparities in benefits and resources. Rep. Vasquez’s bill represents a path towards rectifying these disparities by ensuring that all teachers at tribal schools receive the same high-quality retirement benefits as their counterparts at BIE schools.”

Vasquez has met with Tribal leaders and educators throughout New Mexico who have shared their immense challenges in recruiting and retaining qualified teachers for their schools. The Parity for Tribal Educators Actaddresses the teacher shortage in Indian Country by providing teachers and staff at Tribally-controlled schools the same federal retirement benefits as teachers at Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) schools.

New Mexico has ten Tribally-controlled schools, and those educators deserve the same retirement benefits as educators at other BIE and public schools.

The legislation is endorsed by the National Indian Education Association, the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), the Mescalero Apache Tribe and the Ramah Navajo School Board. 

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