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Setting our Kids up for Success

Posted January 31, 2025, 7:00 AM. Updated January 31, 2025, 12:11 AM.

In her weekly message, Superintendent Blakey discusses new high school graduation requirements approved by the Board of Education.

One of our most important jobs as educators is to prepare our students for the world they’ll encounter when they graduate.

Over the last year, we’ve spent a great deal of time thinking about what exactly that means as we worked to reimagine our district’s graduation requirements. That work was spurred by legislation enacted in 2024 that tasked school districts across the state with modernizing those requirements.

At APS, we formed an advisory committee that included students, teachers, families, community members, principals, assistant principals and other administrators to guide our work. We also launched a survey to get input from students, families and staff and used what we heard to develop recommendations. 

Earlier this month, our Board of Education approved our recommended new graduation requirements.

Among the key changes:

  • Students will be required to earn a half credit in personal financial literacy.
  • Eighth graders will be able to earn a half credit in health while in middle school.
  • Students will have more choice in their classes with 1 ½ additional elective credits.

The new requirements will be in effect for the Class of 2029 and those that follow.

We’re excited about these changes because they will give our high schoolers more flexibility to explore their interests and because we believe they will give our students the tools they need to make wise choices.

I’m particularly excited about the half credit in personal financial literacy.

I still remember being in college at New Mexico State and watching credit card companies enticing students with giveaways. Free stuff is great, but I want our students to understand how credit cards work and the potential pitfalls that can come with them: high interest rates, late fees, what happens when you only make the minimum payment.

The same goes for student loans, mortgages, investments and credit scores. 

I want our students to make informed decisions when they’re faced with taking on $150,000 in student loans to attend an Ivy League school. While it might be a great investment for someone earning a law degree from Harvard, it might be worth more consideration for someone aspiring to a career that, while rewarding, doesn’t pay as much.  

I want our students to understand the magic of compound interest and how much better off they’ll be if they start saving and investing for retirement early, 

The financial decisions we make today set us up for success or failure in the future, which is why we’re thrilled to make financial literacy a graduation requirement.

I’m also excited about the other changes our board approved.

Students who earn their half credit in health while in the eighth grade will be ahead of the game when they start high school. Requiring middle schoolers to earn high school credit encourages responsibility and helps them prepare for the expectations of high school, where passing or failing classes directly impacts their academic progress.

The additional 1 ½ elective credits will give them the opportunity to take more classes that relate to whatever it is they want to do after graduating. It aligns perfectly with Goal 3, which strives to prepare our graduates for college or the career of their choice.

We’re grateful to those who took our survey and to everyone on the advisory committee who dedicated their time to ensure we got this right.

I want to leave you with our aspirations for each of our graduates, as outlined in our Profile of a Graduate.

An APS graduate is:

  • A critical thinker
  • A problem solver
  • A good communicator
  • An engaged citizen
  • Driven by a growth mindset
  • Socially and culturally aware
  • Innovative 
  • Collaborative
  • Someone who perseveres
  • An advocate

 As an APS graduate, I take great pride in this profile and am confident our community will fully recognize and appreciate the true value of an APS diploma.

Enjoy your weekend!