Albuquerque Public Schools
Celebrating Our Unsung Heroes on Educational Assistants’ Day
In her weekly message, Superintendent Durán Blakey thanks EAs for the vital role they play in our schools.
The day before school started, I was at Albuquerque High School for its Jump Start Day, and one of the staff members who caught my attention was Victoria Cisneros.
Victoria is a legend at Albuquerque High. She graduated from the same high school, then built a professional boxing career and even fought several world champions. But that’s not why she’s a legend.
Victoria is a beloved figure at Albuquerque High because she genuinely cares about students and staff, always going out of her way to build meaningful connections.
That caring nature was on full display during the school’s Jump Start day as she greeted everyone with her trademark, “Good morning, sunshine.”
Victoria is an educational assistant, and on this Educational Assistants’ Day, I want to thank her and our other 1,819 EAs who make a profound difference across our district.
They’re often the unsung heroes of their campuses.
Across the district, our EAs support teachers, provide direct assistance to students, and step in wherever they’re needed. While most work in special education classrooms assisting students with special needs, they also serve in health rooms, pre-K and kindergarten classrooms, computer labs, libraries, and various other settings. Their impact spans a wide range of responsibilities — from supervising students during elementary school recess to running reading programs.
I’ve said this a million times, but it takes a village to educate students, and our EAs are a vital part of that system.
At Chaparral Elementary School, educational assistant Myra Barela goes out of her way to ensure that students feel safe, valued, and empowered. She loves connecting with students and helping them reach their goals and their full potential.
At Seven Bar Elementary School, special education educational assistant Elizabeth Ours has spent years running a nightly reading program, thoughtfully selecting individual books for students to spark a lifelong love of reading. Elizabeth has been with APS for 26 years and earlier this month she was honored with a city proclamation declaring Sept. 10, 2026, as “Elizabeth Ours Day” in honor of her 90th birthday!
Every single one of our campuses has amazing educational assistants like Victoria, Myra, and Elizabeth. They make us better as a team, and they’re great role models for our students.
Victoria is also one of the APS alumni featured in our Passing the Torch calendar and back-to-school videos.
When asked what advice she would offer to her younger self, she shared:
“Life is tough. It's like a roller coaster. You just have to stick with it and keep on throwing punches. You have your ups and downs, and you just have to live life to the fullest.”
That’s great advice for all of us.
Thank you again to all of our educational assistants and dedicated team members at APS who shape our students' lives each day.
Have a great weekend, everyone!