Submit Your Questions for Superintendent Finalists

Deadline is Jan. 26

Time is running out.

If you have a question for the finalists vying to be the next leader of Albuquerque Public Schools you have until Jan. 26 to submit it.

The finalists will answer those pre-submitted questions during three public forums set for Jan. 30 at the Berna Facio Professional Development Complex, 3315 Louisiana Blvd. NE:

• 9 a.m. – noon: Public Town Hall featuring a student panel
• 5-5:45 p.m.: APS Employee Forum
• 6-8 p.m.: General Public Forum

There will be an opportunity to provide input to the board.

All public events will be livestreamed on the APS Board of Education YouTube Channel. Livestreamed events will be close captioned through YouTube. Spanish and Sign Language interpretation will be provided. If you need another language, please email boarded@aps.edu

Two educators are being considered for the job:

• Thomas Ahart, from Des Moines, Iowa, is the former superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools and is now a consultant with the Council of the Great City Schools.
• Gabriella Durán Blakey, of Albuquerque, is chief operations officer at APS and previously served as one of the district’s associate superintendents for leadership and learning.

The board will meet in executive session on Jan. 31 to interview the finalists. The person selected will replace Superintendent Scott Elder, who will be leaving APS when his contract expires on June 30.

The new superintendent will take the district’s helm on July 1.

Editor's note: This article was updated after finalist Mason Bellamy withdrew his name from consideration.