News from 2018-2019

New administrators to Learning Zone 3

“These school leaders exude excitement and energy," said APS Superintendent Raquel Reedy. "Together, we will work to help our students succeed, to support our hard-working employees and to have some fun along the way."

A few new assistant principal positions were created to accommodate growing school populations or to support schools identified by the state as needing more intervention.   

High Schools

Principal

Albuquerque High: Ryan Homistek, former principal at Ernie Pyle Middle School, fills the vacancy left by Tim McCorkle's retirement.   

Assistant Principals

Albuquerque High: Martha Garcia Marroquin, who was a Title I resource teacher, takes over for Cesar Hernandez, who is now principal at Los Padillas Elementary School. 

Artisco Heritage Academy: Former Dean of Students Cristina Benitez de Luna is filling the vacancy created when Doreen Trotz became principal of Mark Twain Elementary School.

eCademy Special Education: Erin Easley, an eCademy teacher, is filling the job left vacant when Shellmarie Harris was promoted to principal.  

Eldorado:  Michelle Mansfield moves from Dean of Students to fill the position left vacant by the retirement of Sam Chavez. 

Highland: This new position has been filled by Eliza Romero, former principal at Mountainair High School. 

La Cueva: This new position has been filled by Leigh Arnett, who was the Dean of Students. 

Manzano: This new position is being filled by Dean Leh, a former teacher at Atrisco Heritage Academy.

Rio Grande: This new position is being filled by Thomas Piper, who was the Director of School Accountability Support. 

Rio Grande: Benjamin Garcia moves from the classroom at Highland to this newly created position. 

Sandia Special Education: Mary Cade, a special education principal at Jimmy Carter Middle School, fills the vacancy left by Kara Sanchez's resignation.    

Valley AVID: This new position was filled by Ronald Worley, who was the Dean of Students.

West Mesa: Sondra Slivon, who was a Title I resource teacher, is filling this new position.  

Middle School

Principals 

Cleveland: Former Assistant Principal Marisol Fraga takes over the top spot following the retirement of Susan Labarge.  

Ernie Pyle: Stacia Duarte, formerly principal at Painted Sky Elementary, takes over for Ryan Homistek, who took the job at Albuquerque High.

John Adams: Kenneth Merhege, a former teacher at Harrison Middle School, takes over for Modesta Hernandez, who is the new principal at Armijo Elementary School.  

Special Education: Eulalia Gonzales comes from Gallup Municipal Schools to fill this new position.

Assistant Principals

Cleveland: Amanda St. John, who was an instructional coach at Mark Twain, takes over for Marisol Fraga who is now the school’s principal.

Desert Willow Family School: Assistant Principal Trish Teasdale is serving as interim principal upon the retirement of Gael Keyes.  

George I. Sanchez: Juan Rodriguez, the former Dean of Students, has stepped into this new position.

Grant: Kacy Cash, who was a special education teacher at Mitchell Elementary School, is filling this new position.

Hillerman: Jerri Lafer, formerly an assistant principal at Jimmy Carter Middle School, is filling this new position.

Hillerman: Anna Lucero-Sanchez, a former special education resource teacher, is filling this vacancy created by the transfer of Suzy Palmer to Bel-Air Elementary School.

Tres Volcanes: This new position for this new school is being filled by Hannah Mainofla, who was a special education teacher at Alvarado Elementary School.

Washington: Jess Wiltamuth comes from the Highland classroom to fill the vacancy created when Janelle Cordova took a teaching position.  

Elementary School

Principal

Armijo: Modesta Hernandez, the former principal at John Adams Middle Schools, takes over following the retirement of Julietta Contreras.

Bel-Air: Suzy Palmer, a Hillerman assistant principal, fills the position vacated by the resignation of Kathy Casaus.

Coronado: Nathaniel Kuster, a bilingual/TESOL teacher at the school, takes over following the retirement of Anna Marie Ulibarri.  

Corrales: Liv Baca-Hochhausler, who was the head special education teacher at Desert Willow Family School, fill the position left vacant when Kimberly Finke became principal of Whittier Elementary School.

Manzano Mesa: Gilbert Bryan Garcia of Rio Rancho Public Schools is Interim Principal following Peggy Candelaria’s move to the Title I Department, where she now serves as Executive Director. 

Mark Twain: Doreen Trotz, who was an assistant principal at Atrisco Heritage Academy, is taking over for Amanda Walker who returned to teaching.

McCollum: Gabrielle Miller made the move from assistant principal at Chelwood Elementary to fill the vacancy left by the retirement of Carrie McGill.

Navajo: Sarah Garcia, an elementary school assistant principal from Las Cruces, is filling the job left vacant by the resignation of Elias Casaus.  

Painted Sky: Sallie Oden, who was a principal in Tennessee, is taking the place of Stacia Duarte, who moved to Ernie Pyle. 

Sierra Vista: Jaclyn Bogue moves from the assistant principal position following the transfer of Monica Garciasalas to Tres Volcanes.

Assistant Principals

Adobe Acres: Doreen Baca, the instructional coach at Mary Ann Binford Elementary School, is filling the job left vacant by the resignation of Rosa Swonger.

Bandelier: The district is working to fill the position left vacant by the transfer of Kaye Bates to La Mesa Elementary School.

Carlos Rey: Bruce Torres it taking over for Alma Ripley, who transferred to Chaparral Elementary School.  

Chaparral: Alma Ripley of Carlos Rey Elementary School is filling a new position at the school.  

Chelwood: The district is working to fill the position left vacant by the transfer of Gabrielle Miller to McCollum ES.

Double Eagle: Shayna Kagan, who was the instructional coach, is stepping up to fill this new position.

East San Jose/Dolores Gonzales: Heather Maresca, who was an instructional coach at Dolores Gonzales, is now serving as assistant principal for both schools, filling a vacancy at East San Jose created when Veronica Nolan moved to Eugene Field.  

Emerson: Carlos Trujillo moves from the classroom in Corrales to fill this position left vacant by the resignation of Andrea Ochoa.  

Helen Cordero: Mary Lynn Salazar, who was the school’s instructional coach, is stepping into the position left vacant when Kurt Ruckman returned to the classroom.

John Baker and Osuna: Kathryn Eaton, formerly of Matheson Park Elementary School, will split her time between Osuna and John Baker. These are new positions.

La Mesa: Kaye Bates, who split her time between Bandelier and Gov. Bent elementary schools, is filling this new position.

Lavaland: Eder Ortiz, a bilingual resource teacher, is filling the part-time position left vacant by the transfer of Dolores Espinosa de Ortega to Pajarito.  

Los Padillas: Mayra Moncada, who was a teacher at Adobe Acres Elementary School, is filling this new position.

Pajarito: Dolores Espinosa de Ortega, the former assistant principal at Lavaland Elementary school, is stepping into the position left vacant by the retirement of Mario Marquez.  

Petroglyph: Anna Chavez made the move from Armijo Elementary to fill this new position.  

Sierra Vista: Cory Donley, who was a West Mesa High School special education teacher, is filling the vacancy created when Jaclyn Bogue became the school’s principal.

S.Y. Jackson: Brad Harberts moves from the classroom to fill this new position.