Albuquerque Public Schools
Celebrating the Power of Public Education
In her weekly message, Superintendent Blakey reflects on the amazing things public schools offer and encourages staff to wear red on Tuesday.
It’s Public Schools Week and I’m thrilled to be celebrating it with you!
I’m a product of public schools, and I’m proud of it. Attending Sandia Base Elementary, Van Buren Middle and Highland High shaped me in big and small ways and made me the person I am today. These schools gave me an excellent academic foundation that played a pivotal role in getting me to where I am in my career.
But they also provided me with important social skills I still use. I went to school with students from varied racial, ethnic, and economic backgrounds. My classmates also practiced a mix of religions.
People who come from varied backgrounds have different perspectives, and being exposed to those different viewpoints in my formative years was invaluable. It taught me to respect other cultures and to appreciate others and their backgrounds. Being a public school kid also taught me how to find common ground with people who were different than me and how to work with them.
Beyond that, public schools provided me with a wealth of opportunities in academic programs and extracurricular activities. From Advanced Placement classes and leadership opportunities to athletics and clubs, there was no shortage of choices. In case you're wondering, sports have never been my thing, so I gravitated toward music and student government.
That’s the great thing about public schools and APS in particular. Whatever a student is interested in, whether it be environmental STEM, engineering, nursing, automotive programs, language, football, drama, esports, JROTC, or something else, chances are we have a program for them. Public schools offer so many different paths for students!
That reality was on full display during my visit to Eldorado High School on Wednesday. I was welcomed by members of the school’s student government, band and athletics teams. Eldorado–recently named Best Public High School in Albuquerque by Albuquerque the Magazine–epitomizes all that public schools have to offer!
As superintendent, I have to remain neutral about which of our high schools is the best. But as a former assistant principal at Eldorado, I can attest to the fact that it’s a great school! My nephew, who is now a special education teacher, is also a proud graduate of Eldorado, and he is always singing its praises.
From its beautiful campus to the amazing faculty and students, Eldorado is a great place to be.
Kaylee Bahe, a senior at Eldorado, recently earned a state Bilingualism-literacy Seal in Diné. She and La Cueva senior Hallie Cornfield passed a grueling Navajo Nation oral exam to become the first APS seniors to earn the Diné seal!
And then there’s Lesha Rupert, an Eldorado teacher who recently received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching from President Joe Biden. She was one of four APS teachers to earn the award, the highest honor K-12 math and science teachers can receive from the U.S. government. Tara Palomares from Sandia High, Kimberly Conell from La Cueva and Christopher Speck of Madison Middle School, also received the presidential award, a testament to all that public schools have to offer.
We have amazing things happening in our public schools, from our National Merit Semifinalists to our Blue Ribbon schools. Let’s celebrate this success!
Along those same lines, I encourage you to join me in supporting the national Wear Red for Public Ed campaign happening on Tuesday. Let’s celebrate the power of public education by wearing red on that day!
Enjoy your weekend.