News from the Superintendent: August 23, 2010

August 23, 2010

Good morning. I hope the first few days of classes went well for you.

An event of historic proportions took place at Eldorado High School last Thursday night. For the first time, the two candidates for governor of New Mexico sat down at the request of a public school district for a debate strictly covering K-12 public education. Already a significant campaign because the Nov. 2 election will result in the selection of the first woman governor in the state’s history, the first formal debate of the election season gave voters a lot to consider on a topic that permeates every aspect of daily life.

The frank hour-long conversation gave us all—educators, parents and community members—a better understanding of the candidates’ views on where our public education system should be headed. The next governor will play a major role in shaping education policy in New Mexico, from the largest district to the smallest.

I want to take a moment to thank everyone involved with putting on this event. First of all, the campaigns took a chance on participating in a single-topic debate and were willing to come to an APS school to do it. There’s a certain amount of risk in experimenting, and I think it went very well. I appreciate that they took the time to focus on this single area of need in our state, and the thoughtfulness of their responses.

I want to thank the APS Board of Education for its support and assistance, and Mr. Lorenzo Garcia, in particular, for his vision of a single-topic debate that could serve the entire community as part of the District Relations Committee that he chairs.

Thanks also to everyone at Eldorado High School. Principal Martin Sandoval and his staff were very welcoming and accommodating. The efforts of central office staff including Board Services, Communications, APS Police, Technology and Maintenance and Operations as well as many volunteers are also much appreciated. The League of Women Voters provided assistance with the rules. Special thanks to KANW and KNME for providing live radio and online coverage of the debate for those unable to attend. This was a tremendous undertaking.

Of course, the night was made by the many students who participated in the event, both onstage and behind the scenes. Their help was essential. They, after all, are the reason we do what we do, and why the candidates put so much energy into this debate.

If you didn’t see or hear it, photos and video are available on the 2010 APS Gubernatorial Education Debate page.

We have a little more than two months until we make a very important decision. While we’ve identified many needs in education, we still struggle with finding solutions. The one thing we can all agree on, however, is that we all want our children to achieve and succeed. Thanks for participating.

Have a great week.

Winston Brooks
Superintendent