Board Approves Contract Extension for the Superintendent

Progress on goals sets the stage for improvement at APS.

The APS Board of Education has approved a two-year contract extension for Superintendent Gabriella Durán Blakey, lengthening her tenure as the district’s leader through June 2028.

The board voted 5-0 on the extension Wednesday night, based on the district’s progress toward four key goals in Dr. Blakey’s first seven months as superintendent. Board President Danielle Gonzales and board member Ronalda Tome-Warito were not present for the vote.

A committee of the board had worked with Dr. Blakey on discussions about an extension, noting improving student outcomes in APS requires consistent efforts over time.

The committee presented its recommendation to the board at an executive session in August. The board then returned to open session and voted to extend the contract by two years, provided the superintendent demonstrated progress toward the goals during a review in February or March.

“The superintendent and her administration are working diligently toward an improvement of student outcomes, and over the course of the past seven-plus months she’s been able to demonstrate progress toward those goals in our regular monitoring sessions,”  board Vice President Courtney Jackson said following Wednesday’s vote.

Dr. Blakey became the superintendent on July 1 following a nationwide search. She initially agreed to a two-year contract and set the district on an aggressive course to improvement in elementary-school reading, middle math, college and career readiness and improvement in skills, habits and mindsets while also adhering to stringent guardrails mandated by the Board of Education.

“I’m gratified by the board’s faith in the momentum we’ve begun to build in APS,” said Dr. Blakey. “We’re only in the initial stages of improvement, but I feel we’re on our way to creating a better educational future for our students. That’s due in large part to a team effort – our teachers, our staff, our families, and most of all, our kids. More than any single individual, our focus is on the children of Albuquerque, and I’m eager to move forward.”