News from the Superintendent: February 17, 2009

February 16, 2009

Dear APS Community Member,

I hope you had a nice long weekend.

This morning the Capital Outlay Committee heard about plans for a new APS Web site. This is something that has been in the works for some time, and the committee will be looking at a plan drawn up by Tom Ryan in Technology and Monica Armenta in Communications, in consultation with a professional Web designer. Those two departments will ultimately be in charge of design and content. I have seen a preliminary design and it looks much more user-friendly than the current site. We hope it will offer easier access for the community to find information it needs.

The Capital Outlay Committee also heard an update on bills at the legislative session that have an impact on APS. Joseph Escobedo told us about how APS-supported legislation, including the new funding formula, is faring at the halfway point of this session. I should be able to share more with you in next Monday’s letter.

School board members spent Friday and Saturday at professional training in Santa Fe sponsored by the New Mexico School Boards Association. They got an update on the legislative session and met with local legislators. Workshops on making schools safer, working with unions and solving the dropout problem were available, as well as other topics. There also was a session just for new members, and I hope our three members who take office next month found it helpful.

There are many workshop opportunities available for teachers, students and parents right now, covering topics like conservation, dyslexia, music and even philanthropy. Take a look at last Friday’s e-mail announcements for listings and enrollment information.

Congratulations to Eubank, Reginald Chavez and Ventana Ranch elementary schools for the recognition they received last Wednesday at the Roundhouse. The three schools came of the “school in need of improvement” list by making AYP for the second consecutive year. Each school received a $4,000 award from the state for educational materials. The students and staffs at these schools should be very proud of their accomplishment. I certainly am.

Standards Based Assessment testing begins in six weeks, and I don’t have to tell you how high the stakes are. I know everyone is working hard and the extra few weeks’ preparation time you have should help. I anticipate that next year we will be celebrating more schools’ accomplishments in Santa Fe. Keep it going!

Have a great week.

Sincerely,

Winston Brooks, Superintendent
Albuquerque Public Schools
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