Albuquerque Public Schools
Two APS Schools Named PTA Schools of Excellence
Dennis Chavez Elementary and Hoover Middle lead the way in strengthening family-school partnerships.
When families and schools collaborate, students thrive. That core belief drove the PTAs at Dennis Chavez Elementary and Hoover Middle School to earn the prestigious national designation as a PTA School of Excellence for 2024–2026. Out of only six schools recognized across the entire state of New Mexico, Albuquerque Public Schools is proud to host two of these exceptional leadership teams.
The National PTA School of Excellence program guides school communities through a rigorous, data-driven process to transform family engagement. Rather than guessing what families need, participating PTAs survey their local communities, listen closely to feedback, and craft targeted action plans designed to build more welcoming, inclusive and supportive environments.
At Dennis Chavez Elementary, the PTA focused its efforts directly on empowering parents during one of the most critical times of the school year: Parent-Teacher Conferences. Recognizing that academic updates can sometimes feel overwhelming, the PTA created custom resource guides to help parents decipher report cards and developed practical talking points to foster meaningful two-way dialogue with teachers.
"Our PTA surveyed our community, took feedback, created a plan to improve, and implemented the change," shared Dennis Chavez Elementary Principal Jessica Chavez. "Our improvement area was to support families through Parent-Teacher Conferences by providing resources to help explain the report card and provide talking points for families in conferences. We plan to still use these resources for future parent-teacher conferences to support family engagement around student achievement."
Hoover Middle School's PTA also demonstrated outstanding commitment to uniting families, educators and students by directly aligning its efforts with family and student survey feedback.
"Key achievements included strengthening school partnerships and launching direct-impact initiatives, such as holiday meal baskets and a Giving Tree that supported 19 families and 42 students," Hoover Middle Principal Rebecca Sanchez said. "By intentionally focusing on expressed community needs, the PTA created deeper connections and enhanced support across the school. It has been a joy to work with my PTA as we make a difference for students and their families."
By earning this two-year national designation, both schools have proven that strong communication and intentional family support lay the foundation for long-term student success.