'Step Out of Your Comfort Zone'

New superintendent urges APS leaders to be bold in quest to improve student outcomes.

With the new school year on the horizon, Albuquerque Public Schools welcomed back principals and vice principals with a spirited pep assembly featuring an exuberant marching band, enthusiastic cheerleaders, and an energized crowd.

Wednesday’s Welcome Back Kickoff assembly—emceed by students from Rio Grande, Volcano Vista, and Atrisco Heritage Academy high schools—was punctuated by a speech by Dr. Gabriella Blakey, who challenged APS leaders to be bold and to do whatever it takes to move the needle on student outcomes.

 “The status quo is no longer an option,” the new superintendent said. “Playing it safe is no longer an option. Avoiding ruffling feathers at all costs is no longer an option. Our students are struggling, and they need us to step up and be leaders.”

Roughly 400 APS leaders attended the event at Highland High School, including directors and managers from throughout the district.

In her address, Blakey noted that only 38% of APS third-graders are proficient in reading, only 26% of eighth-graders are proficient in math, and only 72% of seniors are graduating on time.

“And our Yazzie-Martinez kids are even further behind,” she said. “That’s not OK. We have to do better. … We need to do everything we can to improve these numbers. And, yes, that’s easier said than done. That makes our work all the more meaningful.”

She spoke of the levers district leaders need to pull to improve those outcomes, including:

• Continuing to chip away at the district’s high absentee rates
• Engaging students by figuring out what excites them and using that to reel them in and get them excited about learning.
• Continuing to invest more classroom time in reading
• Investing in principals to ensure they have the training and support they need to be effective leaders
• Ensuring that students are being taught at grade level with high-quality instructional materials.
• Continuing to push on LETRS training for teachers.
• And continuing to provide the supports students need to set them up for success in the classroom, everything from meals and clothing to counseling and school safety.

“For those of us not working directly with students,” she said, “our job is to remove obstacles for those who are and to help them succeed.”

Blakey formally took over as superintendent on July 1, and the Welcome Back Kickoff assembly was her first time addressing all APS leaders as superintendent.

Her speech was aimed at getting them excited about the work ahead as the district works to achieve the five-year goals set by the Board of Education in early 2023. The four goals are to raise third-grade proficiency rates in language arts and eighth-grade proficiency in math; prepare high schoolers for their next chapter by getting them to take more advanced placement and dual credit courses, among other things; and ensure that students have the skills, mindsets, and habits they will need to be successful in life.

“I’m asking you to step out of your comfort zone and strive for greatness,” Blakey told school and district leaders. “Challenge yourself. Challenge those around you. Be the great leader you’re meant to be.”