On April 22, Leadership Albuquerque participants took part in “K-12 and Early Childhood Education Day” at Albuquerque Public Schools.
David Campbell, Leadership Albuquerque chair, said education is a top-three priority issue for the Chamber and the business community, as it is key in the fight against poverty in our state and the future of our economy.
“We’re going to make sure we understand how children in New Mexico are performing academically, how the state and school districts are measuring and communicating this information, and how they plan to raise student achievement,” he said.
Leadership Albuquerque participants heard from Dr. Gabriella Durán Blakey, APS superintendent, as well as Danielle Gonzales and Courtney Jackson, APS Board of Education president and vice president, respectively. New Mexico Public Education Secretary Mariana Padilla was also a guest.
Campbell previewed the APS leaders’ talks, explaining the focus would be on the relatively new goals and strategic plan the district is implementing, which are designed to drive continuous improvement of student learning.
Meanwhile, Padilla talked about the very latest initiatives being advanced by the governor’s administration.
Participants also heard about the state’s charter schools, how they fit into public education and how they are working to close achievement gaps.
“One of the key beliefs of the Chamber with respect to public education is that we believe every child is capable of learning and improving every year and that every child regardless of their background should have access to a quality school and education,” Campbell said. “Without a great education, a person’s opportunities in life are constrained. Education is a difference maker in individual lives. Education is capable of stopping the cycle of intergenerational poverty in a family. Education is key to developing a strong local workforce for our economy.”
Campbell introduced Durán Blakey, who has been at the helm of APS since July 2024. Durán Blakey grew up in Albuquerque and has worked at APS for more than 20 years where she taught social studies and English language learners.
“During her short time as superintendent, overseeing more than 140 schools and 68,000 students, the Chamber has been impressed with how focused she is on academic improvement, her eagerness to embrace high-performing public charter schools as part of the APS family, and her willingness to think strategically – and make difficult decisions – relating to the best use of APS buildings for kids across town,” Campbell said.
The second speaker of the day was introduced by Jeremy Oswald, Leadership Albuquerque vice chair. Oswald introduced Amanda Aragon, NewMexicoKidsCAN executive director.
Oswald said NewMexicoKidsCAN serves as a catalyst and conduit to advocate for community-informed, student-centered and research-based education policies that work best for the children of New Mexico.
Aragon gave Leadership Albuquerque participants a primer on the state of education in New Mexico, including her thoughts on the types of education policies that have worked well elsewhere that she believes we ought to try in our state.
The education bus kept rolling as Oswald introduced Matt Pahl, Public Charter Schools of New Mexico executive director.
Oswald said public charter schools are an important piece of the education framework in New Mexico.
He introduced Pahl, who began his teaching career as a first-grade teacher nearly 20 years ago before moving to analyzing education issues, policy and funding in New Mexico.
Pahl spoked to participants about understanding charter schools including how they are launched and governed, as well as what results the charter schools are yielding.
Just before noon, Campbell introduced Mariana Padilla, New Mexico Public Education Department secretary, who has held the position since September 2024.
As a top aide in the Governor’s Office, Padilla served as the director of the New Mexico Children’s Cabinet, leading the governor’s agenda on child and family well-being. She was the governor’s top education policy advisor – including early childhood, K-12 and higher education. She began her career as an elementary school teacher in the South Valley.
Campbell and Padilla participated in a Q&A, discussing topics ranging from the governor’s agenda for improving New Mexico schools to if the PED is getting enough support from the Legislature. Other topics included how the Yazzie/Martinez ruling has played a contextual role in education policymaking.
Leadership Albuquerque members then walked to Bucca di Beppo Italian Restaurant for lunch.
After lunch participants returned to the APS Boardroom, they heard about the board’s work to improve student growth and school performance.
Campbell introduced APS Board President Danielle Gonzales and APS Board Vice President Courtney Jackson.
He said the Board of Education is singularly focused on improving student performance in Albuquerque and the two women have led the effort to set academic goals and expectations for the school district and adopt a new strategic plan to focus the district’s efforts on student achievement growth.
Participants learned about the role of the school board as well as the progress being made at APS, as well as the role that charter schools play in the future of the district.
To end the day, participants heard from Kim Finke, Cibola High School principal, and Rachael Sewards, Solare Collegiate founder and head of school.
Oswald said the pair would focus on leadership within schools.
“A couple of years ago, the Chamber led a research effort and policy exploration initiative (in partnership with the Thornburg Foundation) that was premised on the researched-backed notion that one promising way to improve an education system is to focus on developing, deploying, and supporting really transformative leaders in our schools,” he said. “The theory of change is this: a good leader sets a positive culture and high expectations. They hire good teachers and staff (who like to work for a strong, successful leader). They are relentlessly focused on getting the most out of every child every year. In doing so, a single person who hires a great team can change an entire school – focusing on leadership is a very efficient way to improve a system, school by school.”
Oswald said this report identified that the role of a principal has evolved significantly over time – from someone who used to mainly handle “buses, books and boilers” (manage the infrastructure of the school, so to speak) to someone relied upon to be an instructional leader/mentor (teach teachers to teach daily) to someone who is now expected to be much more than either of those things: a CEO, of sorts, of a complex organization that faces pressures from all sides to deliver continuous improvement, managing up/down/out, hiring/training, overseeing operations, etc. – a very nuanced and challenging job.
The pair then answered questions about principal preparation and in-role development, as well as what kind of discipline challenges are faced within each individual school.
Campbell closed the education day by letting participants know the final program day will be May 19, with graduation that same day.
