Albuquerque Public Schools
Providing Students with Choices for Success
In her weekly message, Superintendent Blakey highlights the wonderful magnet schools APS offers.
The days of a one-size-fits-all education system are long over, and I, for one, am glad. As educators, we know students come to us with a variety of needs and wants.
Some are looking for a traditional school experience and thrive in that environment. Others are looking for more of a tailored experience, focused on dual language, STEM or the arts. Still others are interested in engineering, environmental STEM, early college, global leadership and even International Baccalaureate programs, to name a few.
At Albuquerque Public Schools, we’re committed to providing our students with the educational experiences that meet their needs and that interest and engage them. Our Office of Innovation is at the forefront of that effort, and it’s doing a great job!
I’m happy to say Executive Director Francesca Ver Ploegh and several of our programs were recently recognized for their incredible work during the National Magnet Schools conference in Nashville, Tennessee.
I’m particularly proud of Melanie Zuniga for being named this year’s Magnet Schools of America Region V Teacher of the Year! Region V encompasses seven states, including New Mexico, Colorado and Texas. As a special education teacher at Coronado Dual Language Magnet School, Melanie is committed to creating an inclusive space where every student can succeed. She embraces culturally responsive instruction and community engagement and has spearheaded service-learning projects. Her students feel valued and empowered. Melanie is an incredible teacher, and I’m glad to see her getting recognized for all she does.
Also garnering recognition at the conference were:
- eCademy High School, which was named a Top Magnet School of Excellence and a 2024 nationally certified Demonstration School.
- San Antonito STEM Magnet Elementary was also named a Top Magnet School of Excellence and a 2024 nationally certified Demonstration School.
- College and Career High School was named a 2024 nationally certified magnet school.
- Francesca was reelected the Region V Magnet director.
- And I was a Round 5 superintendent of the year winner.
Separately, the state Public Education Department this week selected San Antonito as a New Mexico Green Ribbon School for 2025 for reducing environmental impact and costs, improving the health and wellness of students and staff, and offering effective environmental and sustainability education.
Congratulations to San Antonito, eCademy and College and Career High School for these awards. I’m proud of them and proud of the robust choices we offer through our wonderful magnet school portfolio. Some are fairly new, like our Sustaining the Future environmental stem pathway we launched last year at Los Padillas Elementary, Mountain View Elementary, Polk Middle and Rio Grande High. Others, like our dual language magnets, have been around for decades.
We want our kids to be active participants in their education, and one of the ways we make that happen is by helping them find the school that’s right for them. So if a regular neighborhood school or traditional high school isn’t working for them, let’s encourage them to explore the many other opportunities we offer.
Have a great weekend.