Albuquerque Public Schools
PK15 Employee Government Relations
Albuquerque Public Schools recognizes the importance of cooperative relationships with governmental agencies and elected officials. The following applies to ensure these relationships remain within the scope of existing APS policies and procedures.
APS Email and Technology
APS supports the right of employees to voice their political views; however, APS employees will not use the APS email system or district-issued technology to express political opinions, nor should political emails be sent during the workday. Usage of the APS email system and district-issued technology must comply with standards of conduct in the APS Employee Handbook and Employee Technology Acceptable Use Policy.
Contact with Government Officials
Any APS employee contacted in their capacity as an APS employee or representative by a legislator, the governor’s office, the mayor’s office, Bernalillo County, a candidate for political office, or a member of the congressional delegation must inform their immediate supervisor and a member of the APS Government Affairs team before any further discussion. This will ensure that information is gathered and shared with the superintendent and appropriate APS departments and that district-related communications are consistent with the district's position and priorities.
Principals will notify the Government Affairs team of all requests for political visits to school campuses and work directly with them to coordinate the visit.
APS employees should refrain from contacting government officials or agencies with concerns about Albuquerque Public Schools policies, procedures, funding, or initiatives. Instead, they should refer to the Open Communication Standards outlined in the APS Employee Handbook and follow the chain of command by bringing all concerns or questions to their immediate supervisor and/or the APS Government Affairs team.
Holding Public Office
District personnel may hold public offices, except for the Board of Education, regardless of the relationship between the public office and the interests of APS.
An APS employee who is a duly appointed or elected official of a state agency or local government agency, acting in their capacity as a duly appointed or elected official and outside of the official workday, may speak, act, debate, and vote according to their convictions without undue influence or fear of retaliation by the Board of Education, the superintendent, or their immediate supervisor. The district and employees who are duly appointed or hold elected office will comply with federal and state laws and regulations.
Absences due to Political Engagement
Any APS employee who wants to attend a legislative hearing or session in person or virtually and has not been requested to do so by the district must take annual or personal leave.
District employees serving as duly appointed or elected officials of a state or local government agency will be required to submit for a leave of absence to perform official acts of their public office. APS will compensate employees for leaves of absence taken to perform official acts.
District personnel who hold public office will refer to the administration’s procedural directives and the appropriate negotiated agreement to determine compensation and leave of absence procedures when performing official duties.
Use of District Facilities
Elected officials, candidates for elected office, and their representatives will only appear on school campuses outside the instructional day, except when the district has invited them to appear as part of the school’s educational program and only with the approval of the superintendent or their designee. Any visit by an elected official, candidate for office, or their representative must be approved by school administration using the APS guest speaker form.
Speeches by elected officials, candidates for elective office, and their representatives at any coordinated school events will be subject to the superintendent's approval. Use of district facilities and grounds and all visits by elected officials, political candidates, and government agencies will be subject to the superintendent’s approval as outlined in the Buildings and Grounds: Non-School Use of Albuquerque Public Schools Facilities procedural directive. This will include approval for facilities use from the chief operations officer and the superintendent. The facilities usage specialist will notify the Government Affairs team of any facilities use request regarding a candidate or elected government official.
Administrative Position: Superintendent
References:
Procedural Directive Cross Ref.:
Forms Cross Ref.:
NSBA/NEPN Classification:
Introduced: January 12, 2024
Adopted: January 12, 2024
Reviewed: April 5, 2024
Revised: April 5, 2024