Superintendent Search 2020 Survey and Community Forum Results · Executive Summary On October 8, 2019, Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) Superintendent Raquel Reedy formally announced

Superintendent Search 2020 – Survey and Community Forum Results

Prepared for the Albuquerque Public Schools Board of Education

Prepared by

Strategic Analysis & Program Research (SAPR)

December 11, 2019

Dr. Brenda Martinez-Papponi, Manager, Research John Clack, Senior Data Analyst

Dr. Michelle Drummond, Manager, Research Dr. Jessica Gross, Senior Data Analyst

Thomas C. West, Senior Director

Strategic Analysis & Program Research Superintendent Search 2020

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Executive Summary On October 8, 2019, Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) Superintendent Raquel Reedy formally announced to the Board of Education that she would be retiring at the end of the 2019-2020 school year. Four weeks later, November 6, 2019, the Board of Education announced its plans to conduct a survey of the APS community and conduct a series of community meetings to gather feedback to help inform their search for the next superintendent. The survey and a series of public community meetings were held between November 11, 2019 and December 6, 2019.

Key Findings Based on an analysis of the 8,244 responses to the survey of the APS community and a thematic analysis of transcriptions, field notes, and artifacts from the 14 public community meetings (approximately 220 participating community members), Strategic Analysis & Program Research (SAPR) finds the following.

Question Survey Community Meetings What are the five most important characteristics for the next superintendent?

1. Puts the needs of students first

2. Possesses a background in education

3. Promotes safety and security in the schools and across the district

4. Encourages transparency at all levels of the district

5. Takes responsibility for decisions and actions

1. Background and experience in education (specifically classroom or school level)

2. Experience working with diverse populations in a large school district

3. Ability to establish and sustain community partnerships

4. Puts the needs of students first (and values student voice)

5. Values equity, integrity, and transparency

What are the district’s top three strengths?

1. Student diversity 2. School choice options

(access to magnet and charter schools)

3. Culture, language, and history of community

1. Quality of staff, administration, and board of education

2. School choice including the diversity of charter schools and community schools initiative

3. Bilingual programs and the bilingual diploma seal

What are the district’s top three challenges?

1. Teacher shortages 2. Low pay 3. Class sizes

1. Low graduation and high drop-out rates 2. Lack of funding, hiring and retaining

qualified staff, and the size of the district 3. Poverty, student and mental health

challenges What do you like about living in Albuquerque?

1. Culture, language, and history of community

2. Weather, outdoor environment, and recreational opportunities

3. The friendly people and vibrant arts community

While there were some differences between the results of the survey and community meetings, there were a number of strong commonalities. Both survey and community meeting participants want a superintendent who puts students first, and has a background in education.


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Background In early November, the Albuquerque Public Schools Board of Education (BOE) started its search process for a successor to Raquel Reedy, who announced her plan to retire at the end of the current school. The selection of a new superintendent is the most important decision for any Board of Education to make. The choice affects the entire community and the education of thousands of students. An early step in this process is the identification of characteristics and qualifications the district needs in a superintendent. As an integral part of the process, the BOE invited the community to participate in identifying these characteristics by attending a public community meeting or taking a short survey. The community’s input into this process is critical and is a key element to the selection process. The results from the survey and community meetings discussed here are intended to help inform the Board of Education as to what the community feels is important for them to consider as they search for the next superintendent. The survey and community meetings focused on four topics: 1) experience, qualifications, and personal characteristics, 2) strengths of the district, 3) challenges for the district, and 4) the best features of Albuquerque and New Mexico (meetings only). The online survey was posted on the APS website to allow the public to participate easily. Additionally, an invitation with the survey link was emailed directly to the APS community (i.e., employees, parents, students, APS constituents). The public community meetings were held at several locations throughout the Albuquerque area, where community residents were invited to share their input.

In both formats, three central questions were posed: 1. What are the five most important characteristics for the next superintendent? 2. What are the district’s top three strengths? 3. What are the district’s top three challenges?

The public meetings also addressed the following opening question.

4. What do you like about living in Albuquerque?

A copy of the survey, the community meetings flyer, and the community meetings agenda can be found in the Appendix of this report. Methods The online survey was posted to the APS website and emailed to the APS community on November 11, 2019 and remained available through December 6, 2019. Respondents were invited to participate through email reminders (with periodic reminders), APS website, news media, social media posts, newspaper articles, and community meetings. The survey allowed respondents to take the survey in either English or Spanish. The survey collected 8,244 responses from parents/guardians, community members, APS employees, students, and elected officials. Respondents were given the option to identify as more than one affiliation, for example an APS employee may also be a parent/guardian. The large collection of responses allows us to examine the data from a variety of perspectives. The majority of responses to the survey were from parents/guardians of APS students, followed by APS employees. Detailed responses from the survey are accessible through the SAPR dashboard on the APS website. The community meetings were open to the public and were held at various locations throughout the district. A total of 14 sessions were held between November 18, 2019 and December 5, 2019. Three of the 14 meetings were explicitly organized for students, employees, and business/government officials; however, all meetings were open to anyone interested in contributing to the discussion. Spanish language


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interpreters were available at all community meetings (interpreters for other languages were also available when scheduled in advance). The meeting discussions were lively and valuable; facilitators encouraged the participation of all attendees. Scribes and note takers were used to record responses. Notes from each of the 14 meetings are provided in Appendix Table 7. Approximately 220 community members participated in the community meetings. Participants included parents/guardians/families, APS employees, students, business/government officials, and other community residents. In order to provide a thorough and timely analysis of the results from the survey of the APS community and information gathered from the 14 community meetings, both quantitative and qualitative analyses were conducted. Specifically, a quantitative analysis of responses to the four survey questions was conducted via a series of frequency distributions. For each respondent group that was surveyed (i.e., all respondents, parents and guardians, APS employee, community member, student, elected official, business community member), responses were sorted by descending number of responses (see Appendix Tables 1-6). This resulted in the ability to analyze response choices in order of importance for each survey question and to compare results across respondent groups. To analyze the information gathered from the 14 community meetings, a qualitative thematic analysis was performed. Thematic analysis helps to identify, analyze, and interpret patterns of meaning (i.e., themes) within qualitative data1. Specifically, transcriptions, field notes, and artifacts (i.e., large poster paper used to write down community members’ responses to each question asked) from the meetings were analyzed for themes by three SAPR team members who attended, but did not participate, in the community meetings. This approach enables a rich, contextual analysis of the information while not biasing the responses of the community members. When responding to each question, often a participant’s statement would contain more than one idea. In these circumstances, comments were assigned more than one code.

Results The following section presents the combined findings of the quantitative and qualitative analyses by research question. Summary results of the survey are based on the data of all respondents, aggregating the results across all affiliation groups.

1. What are the five most important characteristics for the next superintendent? Respondents were asked to give their opinions and suggestions for the next APS superintendent. Specifically, they were asked what they believed to be the most important characteristics the Board of Education (BOE) should consider when recruiting and hiring the new superintendent. The respondents from the survey were given a list of 23 options and were asked to choose up to five. Figure 1 shows responses from the online survey. The response chosen most frequently was puts the needs of the students first. Survey respondents would also like the BOE to consider an applicant that possesses a background in education, promotes safety and security throughout the district, encourages transparency, and takes responsibility for decisions and actions.

1 Braun, Virginia; Clarke, Victoria (2006). "Using thematic analysis in psychology". Qualitative Research in Psychology. 3 (2): 77–101. doi:10.1191/1478088706qp063oa.


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Figure 1 – Most Important Characteristics for the Next Superintendent

The community meetings cited many more qualities than were offered in the survey; the responses were coded into five categories for further analysis: experience, qualifications, values (e.g. equity), personal characteristics (e.g. honesty), and desired actions. While the final category may prove useful to the new superintendent, it is not related to characteristics on which a hiring decision can be made and is, therefore, not addressed in this report. Based on the information in the other four categories, most participants wanted the new superintendent to: value equity, integrity, and transparency; have an extensive background (experience) in education that includes a demonstrated record of success; and hold an explicitly stated commitment to improvement, innovation, and putting students’ needs first. Similar to the survey, the participants in all 14 of the community meetings expressed the belief that the BOE should select someone with experience in education, specifically classroom and school or district level administrative experience. In addition, there were multiple meetings in which participants expressed that experience with the community schools model, familiarity with all instructional levels (Elem, MS, and HS), and experience in a large, urban school district were also important considerations in selecting a candidate. Although many community members indicated that the next superintendent should have strong communication skills, and a commitment to the community as a whole, these were not among the most frequent responses. In six of the fourteen community forums, participants voiced their preference for hiring someone from New Mexico, Albuquerque, or APS; and at one forum there was a strong preference shown for an

57%

49%

40%

33%

30%

26%

25%

24%

23%

22%

22%

21%

17%

14%

13%

12%

12%

11%

11%

9%

7%

4%

3%

Puts the needs of students first

Possesses a background in education

Promotes safety and security in the schools and across the…

Encourages transparency at all levels of district leadership

Takes responsibility for decisions and actions

Promotes student participation in the arts, sports, and other…

Promotes innovation in curriculum and instruction

Experience managing the budget of a large organization

Inspires and motivate others

Spends time in classrooms

Sets high expectations for all students

Experience increasing student achievement

Uses data to make informed decisions

Other

Establishes strong relationships with outside parties such as…

Provides opportunities for communication between educators…

Values school autonomy

Provides equitable access to technology across the district

Effectively communicates vision

Prior experience as a superintendent

Holds a Ph.D. or Ed.D.

Delegates responsibility

Values a strong central office


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“internal candidate.” While not expressed at a majority of the forums, participants indicated they might prefer a candidate local to the state through other common suggestions (expressed in all but one of the meetings) that the new superintendent should have: “experience with,” a “commitment to,” or an “understanding of,” the diversity, history, and culture of the district and community. Through a variety of statements, participants expressed clearly that they would like to have someone who is relatively familiar with the issues specific to our district and who would be able to “begin immediately, with little disruption.” Finally, while “promotes safety” was among the survey items chosen most frequently, safety was only mentioned by forum participants in three of the meetings. It is important to note, however, that it was quite prominent in the discussion, and ranked highly in importance to the participants in the forum that was specifically for students.

2. What are the district’s top three strengths? In regards to the district’s most significant strengths, survey respondents were asked to choose up to three items from a list of 14 options. The majority of respondents believed the district’s student diversity, school choice options, and the cultural, language, and history of the community are the top strengths of APS (Figure 2).

Figure 2 – District Strengths

The majority of survey respondents selected student diversity. Diversity is a broad term that can relate specifically to students’ ethnic and racial background or, more generally, to refer to differences in cultural background, religious beliefs, economic status, achievement level, language fluency, etc. These types of ideas were raised in the majority of the community meetings. During the forums, many participants used the term to relate to the idea of recognizing or appreciating different students’ perspectives. Student diversity was mentioned both as a strength and challenge of the district, although it was not the most frequently cited response to either question. The top responses from the community meetings regarding the strengths of the district were: high quality of staff/administration/board of education, school choice

48%

33%

33%

28%

18%

18%

15%

15%

13%

12%

12%

8%

8%

4%

4%

Student diversity

School choice options (access to magnet and charter schools)

Culture, language, and history of community

Teacher quality

Bilingual program

School Safety/Security

Special education services

Student support

Technology

Parent engagement

Community engagement

Other

Career technical options

Rigorous academics

Fiscal responsibility


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including the diversity of charter schools and community schools, and our bilingual programs and the bilingual diploma seal.

3. What are the district’s top three challenges? Respondents were also asked to give their feedback on what they view as the most significant challenge a new superintendent will face in the position. The district’s top challenges were chosen from among 16 options. Survey respondents’ top three critical issues facing APS were teacher shortages, low pay, and class sizes (Figure 3).

Figure 3 – District Challenges

During community meetings, participants believed that the most significant challenges of the district are low graduation and high drop-out rates, a lack of funding that contributes to a difficulty in hiring and retaining qualified staff, and poverty and student and mental health challenges. The size of the district and inflexibility of the bureaucracy were also viewed as a significant challenge by community members.

4. What are the positives of living in Albuquerque? Finally, the public meetings reached out to community members to share what they like best about living in Albuquerque. Not surprising, the top responses were the culture, language, and history of community; weather, outdoor environment, and recreational opportunities; and the friendly people and vibrant arts.

Discussion The themes identified through our quantitative and qualitative analysis provide valuable insight which the BOE can reference as they recruit, review, and interview candidates for the new superintendent of

40%

31%

27%

23%

22%

20%

20%

19%

18%

17%

14%

11%

11%

10%

6%

5%

2%

Teacher shortages

Low pay

Class sizes

Classroom funding

Student mental health

Poverty

Student discipline

Staff retention

Living wages for support staff (bus drivers, custodians,…

Buildings need repair

Graduation rates

Budget transparency

Special Education

Other

Equity

Declining student enrollment

English language learner instruction


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APS. This report summarizes the common characteristics across both the survey, comprised of 8,244 respondents, and the 14 community meetings, attended by approximately 220 people. Survey respondents most frequently listed puts the needs of the student first in their top five most important characteristics of the next superintendent, student diversity in their top three strengths of the district, and teacher shortages in their top three challenges the district faces. Since the survey results were based on over 8,000 respondents, it would be assumed that the residents attending the community meetings would be supportive of similar qualities. However, a number of items on the survey did not generate as much support at the community meetings as they did on the survey. For example, low pay was ranked third among the district’s challenges on the survey, but was never ranked highly in the community meetings that discussed pay, and, in most meetings, pay was not discussed at all. Similarly, according to the survey, the community wants a superintendent who takes responsibility, but this was seldom mentioned in the community meetings. These differences could be due to one or more causes including, but not limited to, 1) the survey having a limited list of responses to choose from for each question, 2) community members attending meetings in order to give more detailed responses to the questions, or 3) survey participants and community meeting attendees had different goals or perspectives. While the discussion varied between community meetings, there were common themes across all of the meetings. The Table 1 lists common responses across the community meetings with the caveat that the meaning of statements may have differed slightly between meetings, e.g., many people mentioned diversity, but did not specify the type of diversity they were referring to. To summarize, attendees at all meetings want the incoming superintendent to focus on students, have a background in education (specifically classroom or administrative experience), and understand the diversity of New Mexico, whether that be through direct experience as a resident or through experience with a different diverse community. In terms of principles, the community wants a superintendent who values students at all levels of education, values fairness and equity for students of all races and ethnicities, all socioeconomic categories, all genders, religious beliefs, etc., and is an approachable, respectful, empathetic and an effective communicator. Community meeting attendees feel positively about the high-quality, diverse staff and BOE, the bilingual programs, community engagement, and access to charter, magnet, and community schools. However, the community is concerned about the lack of communication between the district and community, high staff and teacher turnover, the low graduation/high drop-out rates, and safety in schools. They feel that, in part due to the large size of the district, the new superintendent will face challenges in addressing these issues, as well as issues of equity, and student physical and emotional health.


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Table 1 – Thematic Analysis of Community Forums

1. What are the most important characteristics for the next superintendent?

2. What are the district’s top strengths?

3. What are the district’s top challenges?

4. What do you like about living in Albuquerque?

Experience in the field of

education – specifically at least some school level experience

(teacher/principal) – including a record of success

The quality and integrity of district

employees and the BOE

Low graduation rates and high drop-out rates

The diversity of people – cultures, races, and

religious backgrounds

A demonstrated ability to work successfully with a diverse

student population

School choice including the diversity of charter schools and community

schools

Lack of funding that contributes to a

difficulty in hiring and retaining qualified staff

Weather, the outdoor environment and

recreational opportunities

Understanding of (and valuing)

the diversity, history, and culture of the district and

community

Bilingual programs and the bilingual diploma

seal

Poverty and student and mental health

challenges

The friendly people and vibrant arts community

Values equity, integrity and transparency; and is committed

to putting students first

Special Education

programs and a commitment to improvement

Size of the district and inflexibility of the

bureaucracy

The food including green chili and fresh

local produce

While there are differences between the survey and community meeting results, there were several commonalities. Both the survey and community meetings participants want a superintendent who puts student needs first, has a background in education and experience with diverse communities, and values the diversity of our students and community. Identified challenges facing APS can be used to prioritize the issues the new superintendent will face. Identified strengths of the district can be used to gain a better understanding of what is working well in the district. The results from both the survey and community meetings provides useful insight into the mindset of the community that the BOE can use as a starting point from which to begin their search for the next superintendent.


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Appendix


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Figure A1. Electronic Survey

1) Which groups do you identify with? | ¿Con qué grupos te identificas?

(Select all that apply) | (Seleccione todas las que correspondan)

● Community Member / Miembro de la comunidad

● Parents and Guardians / Padres y Responsables

● APS Employee / Empleado de APS

● Elected Official / Funcionario electo

● Student / Estudiante

Select at least 1 item. | Seleccione al menos 1 elemento.

2) What is your New Mexico zip code? | ¿Cuál es su código postal de Nuevo

México?

(A number between 87001 and 88439) | (Un número entre 87001 y 88439)

Notes/Errors: Please enter a valid New Mexico zip

code. Ingrese un código postal válido de Nuevo

México.

3) What is Your Primary Language? | ¿Cual es tu idioma principal?

● English

● Español

Albuquerque Public Schools needs your help in selecting the next Superintendent

to lead our schools. We appreciate you taking the time to answer the following

three questions.

Las Escuelas Publicas de Albuquerque necesitan su ayuda para seleccionar al

próximo Superintendente que dirija nuestras escuelas. Le agradecemos por

tomarse el tiempo para responder las siguientes tres preguntas.


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4) What are the five most important characteristics for the next Superintendent?

● Effectively communicates vision

● Experience managing the budget of a large organization

● Delegates responsibility

● Experience increasing student achievement

● Puts the needs of student’s first

● Possesses a background in education

● Prior experience as a superintendent

● Holds a Ph.D. or Ed.D.

● Spends time in classrooms

● Uses data to make informed decisions

● Provides equitable access to technology across the district

● Values a strong central office

● Promotes student participation in the arts, sports, and other extracurricular activities

● Encourages transparency at all levels of district leadership

● Promotes innovation in curriculum and instruction

● Values school autonomy

● Establishes strong relationships with outside parties such as community members,

local businesses, and elected officials

● Takes responsibility for decisions and actions

● Promotes safety and security in the schools and across the district

● Inspires and motivate others

● Sets high expectations for all students

● Provides opportunities for communication between educators and parents

Notes/Errors: Please select from 1 to 5 items in the list.

4) ¿Cuáles son las cinco características más importantes para el próximo

Superintendente?

● Comunica efectivamente la visión

● Experiencia en la gestión del presupuesto de una gran organización

● Responsabilidad de los delegados

● Experiencia que aumenta el rendimiento estudiantil

● Primero pone las necesidades de los estudiantes

● Posee antecedentes en educación

● Experiencia previa como superintendente

● Tiene un Ph.D. o Ed.D.

● Pasa tiempo en las aulas

● Utiliza datos para tomar decisiones informadas

● Proporciona acceso equitativo a la tecnología en todo el distrito

● Valora una oficina central fuerte

● Promueve la participación de los estudiantes en las artes, los deportes y

otras actividades extracurriculares


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● Fomenta la transparencia en todos los niveles de liderazgo del distrito

● Promueve la innovación en el currículo y la instrucción

● Valores autonomía escolar

● Establece relaciones sólidas con terceros como miembros de la comunidad,

empresas locales y funcionarios electos

● Asume la responsabilidad de las decisiones y acciones

● Promueve la seguridad en las escuelas y en todo el distrito

● Inspira y motiva a otros

● Establece altas expectativas para todos los estudiantes

● Brinda oportunidades de comunicación entre educadores y padres

Notes/Errors: Seleccione de 1 a 5 de los elementos de la lista.

5) What are the district’s top three strengths?

● Student diversity

● Culture, language, and history of community

● Teacher quality

● Bilingual program

● Special education services

● Student support

● Rigorous academics

● Community engagement

● School choice options (access to magnet and charter schools)

● Parent engagement

● Career technical options

● School Safety/Security

● Technology

● Fiscal responsibility


5) ¿Cuáles son las tres principales fortalezas del distrito?

● Diversidad estudiantil

● Cultura, idioma e historia de la comunidad

● Calidad docente

● Programa bilingue

● Servicios de educación especial

● Apoyo estudiantil

● Académicos rigurosos

● Participación de la comunidad

● Opciones de elección de escuela (acceso a escuelas magnet y charter)

● Compromiso de los padres

● Opciones técnicas de carrera

● Seguridad escolar


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● Infraestructura de tecnología

● Responsabilidad fiscal


6) What are the district’s top three challenges?

● Graduation rates

● English language learner instruction

● Teacher shortages

● Declining student enrollment

● Classroom funding

● Poverty

● Equity

● Low pay

● Budget transparency

● Buildings need repair

● Class sizes

● Staff retention

● Student discipline

● Living wages for support staff (bus drivers, custodians, educational assistants)

● Student mental health

● Special Education


6) ¿Cuáles son los tres principales desafíos del distrito?

● Tasas de graduación

● Instrucción de aprendices del idioma inglés

● Escasez de maestros

● Disminución de la matrícula estudiantil

● Financiamiento de aula

● Pobreza

● equidad, patrimonio neto

● Bajos salarios

● Transparencia presupuestaria

● Los edificios necesitan reparación

● Tamaños de clase

● Retención de personal

● Disciplina estudiantil

● Salarios habitables para el personal de apoyo (conductores de autobuses, custodios,

asistentes educativos)

● Salud mental del estudiante

● Educación especial



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Figure A2. Community Forum Flyer

You’re Invited... ...to community meetings and to take an online survey to give your opinions

and suggestions for the next APS superintendent.

What do you believe the APS Board of Education should consider as most important when hiring a new superintendent?

Community Meetings* Students, parents, employees, the business community, government officials, and community members are invited to attend any

of the following community meetings:

Monday, November 18 6-7:30 p.m. – Sandia High School, 7801 Candelaria NE

Thursday, November 21 6-7:30 p.m. – Volcano Vista High School, 8100 Rainbow Rd NW

Monday, November 25 6-7:30 p.m. – Eisenhower Middle School, 11001 Camero Rd NE

Monday, November 25 6-7:30 p.m. – Alvarado Elementary School, 1100 Solar Rd NW

Tuesday, November 26 6-7:30 p.m. – Roosevelt Middle School, 11799 South Highway 14

Monday, December 2 6-7:30 p.m. – Zia Elementary School, 440 Jefferson St NE

Tuesday, December 3 6-7:30 p.m. – Manzano Mesa Elementary School, 801 Elizabeth St SE

Tuesday, December 3 6-7:30 p.m. – Rio Grande High School, 2300 Arenal Rd SW

Thursday, December 5 6-7:30 p.m. – Jimmy Carter Middle School, 8901 Bluewater NW

Thursday, December 5 6-7:30 p.m. – Albuquerque High School, 800 Odelia Rd NE

*Spanish language interpreters will be available at all community meetings.

*An interpreter for other languages will be available if requested at least 48 hours in advance of a scheduled meeting. Call 880-3729.

APS Employee Meeting

Employees are encouraged to attend any of the community meetings or the meeting just for employees on:

Tuesday, November 19 7-8 a.m. – John Milne Community Board Room, 6400 Uptown Blvd. NE

Business and Government Officials Community Meeting Business community and government officials are encouraged to attend any of the community meetings or the meeting just for

business and government officials on:

Friday, November 22 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. – John Milne Community Board Room, 6400 Uptown Blvd. NE

If you have comments or questions about the APS superintendent search, please contact the APS Board of Education by phone: 880-3729 or

e-mail: [email protected].

You also may go to the APS website at www.aps.edu, click on the “Superintendent Search” link and complete our online survey. The online

survey is available in English and Spanish. The deadline to submit the online survey is Friday, December 6, at 12 noon. More details about

the APS superintendent search process timelines and other information are available on the website.

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.aps.edu/


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Figure A3. Community Forum Agenda

Community Meeting Detailed Agenda: Facilitator

I. Introduction

Welcome (Board Member)

Overview (Facilitator)

The Board of Education is in the process of searching for a

new superintendent

Being the Superintendent is a huge and really important job

o the superintendent is the educational leader of 81,000

students

o The superintendent’s primary focus is academics, but

the job also entails overseeing all employees, payroll,

benefits, transportation, maintenance, facilities,

meals, and much more

o Supt has to oversee the whole educational system to

make sure that is working, and where and when it

isn’t, the superintendent has to fix things that aren’t

working and continually make improvements

o The superintendent is responsible for more people

than almost all of the mayors in the state of New

Mexico

o Thank you for being here tonight to provide your

input and participate in the process of looking for a

new superintendent for APS

Search Process (Facilitator)

Superintendent Reedy announced her plans to retire in

October

In November and the first part of December we will be

hosting 12 community meetings, just like what we are doing

today, to explain the search process and gather input and

ideas about:


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o Albuquerque: to sell the awesomeness of our city to a

new superintendent

o APS: District’s strengths and challenges

o Characteristics you think are important in a new

superintendent

In November and December, we also have a short survey

asking similar questions. We’d like everyone in the

community to take the survey!

January – March we’ll advertise the position using the

information we’ve gathered at all the meetings to put

together the advertisement and interview questions

In March/April we’ll interview finalists. We hope you’ll be

a part of that process too

In April we hope to announce who the new Superintendent

will be so that he or she can work with Superintendent

Reedy to get to know APS and the community.

We’d like to gather your ideas and input about

Albuquerque, APS and the characteristics you’d like to see

in a new superintendent.

II. Four Questions (If small groups, the group leader and scribe lead the conversation, facilitator keeps time. If large group, the facilitator leads the whole group; staff will help keep time.)

3 min Question 1:

o What do you like about living in Albuquerque? (How would

you sell Albuquerque? What activities are available locally?)

5 min Question 2:

o What do you see as significant strengths of the school

district? (What do you appreciate about APS? What do you brag-on

about APS?)

5 min Question 3:


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o What do you see as the most significant challenges the new superintendent will face in this position? (What are the critical issues APS is facing right now? What are the hardest local education problems to solve?)

30 min Question 4:

o 20 min - Brainstorm

What experience, qualifications, and values would you like

to see in a new superintendent?

o 10 min - Prioritize

Can try to come to consensus as a group and/or can give

each person 5 dots and ask them to choose their top

characteristics across all three categories. (The

characteristics they believe are essential to a new superintendent’s

success.) They can put more than one dot on a specific

characteristic if desired.

Verbally highlight the top choices

(Italics are alternate ways of asking the question)

III. Large group (Facilitator)

Is there anything that really stood out that you think the whole group should hear?

If you would like to submit questions or comments to the board members you can write them on an index card or email them to [email protected] (put email on the parking lot page)

Is there any other information you would like to share concerning the community, school district or superintendent position that would impact the search process?

Do you have questions regarding the search process? o FYI: Items brought up but not relevant can be

placed on the parking lot page and constituent can be told the appropriate person will respond. (Perhaps ask them to come up and write their email/phone on


Page 20 of 49

the parking lot page so we have a way to respond directly to them?)

IV. Large group (Board Member)

Thank all for attending

Encourage to participate in the survey – the link is on the

aps.edu webpage

Encourage them to invite friends and family to attend a

community meetings – flyers are at the door and on the aps.edu

webpage

Ask them to give the two question survey from the

Family Engagement team they received when they

entered to the greeters at the door as they leave

Dismiss


Page 21 of 49

Table A1. Most Important Characteristics for the Next Superintendent by Respondent Group and Number of Responses

Superintendent Characteristics

Respondent Group

All Respondents

(n=8,244)

Parents and Guardians (n=5,070)

APS Employees (n=3,921)

Non-Affiliated

Community Members (n=304)

Student (n=257)

Business Community

Member (n=117)

Elected Official (n=36)

Puts the needs of students first 4,678 3,105 2,012 151 160 50 17

Possesses a background in education 4,030 2,275 2,332 104 92 17 14

Promotes safety and security in the schools and across the district

3,332 2,312 1,364 66 121 18 7


2,715 1,530 1,462 106 77 35 13

Takes responsibility for decisions and actions 2,464 1,527 1,103 97 95 37 11

Promotes student participation in the arts, sports, and other extracurricular activities

2,176 1,505 871 53 74 14 5

Promotes innovation in curriculum and instruction 2,054 1,319 921 78 47 35 4


2,002 1,254 918 68 57 35 3

Inspires and motivate others 1,889 1,127 947 75 61 40 7

Spends time in classrooms 1,853 1,132 980 43 70 12 8

Sets high expectations for all students 1,802 1,120 800 101 40 48 4

Experience increasing student achievement 1,734 1,138 697 80 52 42 10

Uses data to make informed decisions 1,413 835 666 81 28 48 4

Other 1,123 614 611 69 39 30 10

Establishes strong relationships with outside parties such as community members, local businesses, and elected officials

1,045 553 530 75 30 35 9

Provides opportunities for communication between educators and parents

964 685 334 32 42 13 10

Values school autonomy 971 491 635 18 23 5 5


Page 22 of 49


915 543 448 25 30 10 4

Effectively communicates vision 883 417 507 54 19 19 6

Prior experience as a superintendent 770 432 365 43 26 14 7

Holds a Ph.D. or Ed.D. 590 350 278 30 21 7 5

Delegates responsibility 328 174 169 11 15 5 1

Values a strong central office 257 112 168 7 8 2 2

Table A2. Most Important Characteristics for the Next Superintendent by Respondent Group and Rank

Superintendent Characteristics - Rank

Respondent Group

All Respondents

(n=8,244)



Non-Affiliated


Student (n=257)

Business Community

Member (n=117)


Puts the needs of students first 1 1 2 1 1 1 1

Possesses a background in education 2 3 1 3 4 14 2

Promotes safety and security in the schools and across the district

3 2 4 13 2 13 11


4 4 3 2 5 10 3

Takes responsibility for decisions and actions 5 5 5 5 3 6 4

Promotes student participation in the arts, sports, and other extracurricular activities

6 6 10 15 6 15 16

Promotes innovation in curriculum and instruction 7 7 8 8 11 8 17


8 8 9 12 9 9 21

Inspires and motivate others 9 11 7 9 8 5 12

Spends time in classrooms 10 10 6 16 7 18 9

Sets high expectations for all students 11 12 11 4 13 2 18

Experience increasing student achievement 12 9 12 7 10 4 6


Page 23 of 49

Uses data to make informed decisions 13 13 13 6 17 3 20

Other 14 15 15 11 14 11 5

Establishes strong relationships with outside parties such as community members, local businesses, and elected officials

15 16 16 10 15 7 8

Provides opportunities for communication between educators and parents

17 14 20 18 12 17 7

Values school autonomy 16 18 14 21 19 22 15


18 17 18 20 16 19 19

Effectively communicates vision 19 20 17 14 21 12 13

Prior experience as a superintendent 20 19 19 17 18 16 10

Holds a Ph.D. or Ed.D. 21 21 21 19 20 20 14

Delegates responsibility 22 22 22 22 22 21 23

Values a strong central office 23 23 23 23 23 23 22

Table A3. District’s Strengths by Respondent Group and Number of Responses

District Strengths

Respondent Group

All Respondents

(n=8,244)



Non-Affiliated


Student (n=257)

Business Community

Member (n=117)


Student diversity 3,992 2,260 2,141 156 112 63 17


2,748 1,706 1,343 99 73 59 7

Culture, language, and history of community 2,709 1,502 1,491 116 67 49 13

Teacher quality 2,290 1,422 1,168 56 54 19 10

Bilingual program 1,500 777 824 67 56 19 7

School Safety/Security 1,477 1,021 542 42 57 13 8

Special education services 1,241 735 644 28 45 15 5


Page 24 of 49

Student support 1,228 818 508 31 50 1 2

Technology 1,056 654 517 21 32 5 5

Parent engagement 1,011 798 273 19 37 5 5

Community engagement 985 630 446 28 29 11 2

Other 690 422 282 55 23 19 7

Career technical options 657 415 296 30 31 13 3

Rigorous academics 367 217 174 12 20 1 2

Fiscal responsibility 322 156 180 20 7 8 1

Table A4. District’s Strengths by Respondent Group and Rank

District Strengths

Respondent Group

All Respondents

(n=8,244)



Non-Affiliated


Student (n=257)

Business Community

Member (n=117)


Student diversity 1 1 1 1 1 1 1


2 2 3 3 2 2 6

Culture, language, and history of community 3 3 2 2 3 3 2

Teacher quality 4 4 4 5 6 6 3

Bilingual program 5 8 5 4 5 4 5

School Safety/Security 6 5 7 7 4 8 4

Special education services 7 9 6 11 8 7 10

Student support 8 6 9 8 7 14 13

Technology 9 10 8 12 10 12 8

Parent engagement 10 7 13 14 9 13 9

Community engagement 11 11 10 10 12 10 14

Other 12 12 12 6 13 5 7

Career technical options 13 13 11 9 11 9 11


Page 25 of 49

Rigorous academics 14 14 15 15 14 15 12

Fiscal responsibility 15 15 14 13 15 11 15

Table A5. District’s Challenges by Respondent Group and Number of Responses

District Challenges

Respondent Group

All Respondents

(n=8,244)



Non-Affiliated


Student (n=257)

Business Community

Member (n=117)


Teacher shortages 3,310 2,056 1,556 121 93 50 7

Low pay 2,546 1,608 1,211 68 87 19 10

Class sizes 2,221 1,503 1,002 57 48 20 6

Classroom funding 1,878 1,392 641 42 77 19 10

Student mental health 1,777 1,024 935 46 77 16 5

Poverty 1,689 966 883 75 34 38 7

Student discipline 1,650 884 971 47 43 13 8

Staff retention 1,542 822 901 58 22 23 9

Living wages for support staff (bus drivers, custodians, educational assistants)

1,484 847 784 42 55 9 7

Buildings need repair 1,373 841 701 33 46 6 5

Graduation rates 1,114 722 380 90 35 54 3

Budget transparency 877 597 304 47 33 18 4

Special Education 894 526 441 36 32 4 7

Other 850 531 348 54 27 27 5

Equity 521 294 265 37 20 15 6

Declining student enrollment 396 194 236 20 11 7 1

English language learner instruction 184 88 105 12 5 2 3


Page 26 of 49

Table A6. District’s Challenges by Respondent Group and Rank

District Challenges

Respondent Group

All Respondents

(n=8,244)



Non-Affiliated


Student (n=257)

Business Community

Member (n=117)


Teacher shortages 1 1 1 1 1 2 7

Low pay 2 2 2 4 2 7 1

Class sizes 3 3 3 6 6 6 10

Classroom funding 4 4 10 11 4 8 2

Student mental health 5 5 5 10 3 10 11

Poverty 6 6 7 3 10 3 6

Student discipline 7 7 4 8 8 12 4

Staff retention 8 10 6 5 14 5 3

Living wages for support staff (bus drivers, custodians, educational assistants)

9 8 8 12 5 13 5

Buildings need repair 10 9 9 15 7 15 12

Graduation rates 11 11 12 2 9 1 15

Budget transparency 13 12 14 9 11 9 14

Special Education 12 14 11 14 12 16 8

Other 14 13 13 7 13 4 13

Equity 15 15 15 13 15 11 9

Declining student enrollment 16 16 16 16 16 14 17

English language learner instruction 17 17 17 17 17 17 16


Page 27 of 49

Table A7. Community Forum Responses by Question and Forum Number

Community Forum Approximate Total Number of Participants: 220

Question #1: What do you like

about living in Albuquerque?

Question #2: What do you see as significant strengths of the school district?

Question #3: What do you see as the

most significant challenges the new

superintendent will face in this position?

Question #4: What experience,

qualifications, and values would you like to see in a

new superintendent?

November 14, 2019 Bruce and Alice King Educational Complex SuperSAC Approximate Attendance: 35 students

Mountains

Balloon Fiesta

Culture

Food

Hiking

Job opportunities

New business opportunities

Less traffic

Diversity of people, religious, races, cultures

Everyone is a lobo

Lots of room for change

Art

Small town feel

Bilingual: programs & culture; bilingual seal

Transfer students welcomed

District willing to listen

Special Education

New ideas – openness

Dual credit – great for future opportunities & career field; collaborations with higher ed

Sign language interpreters

Willing to communicate with parents

More of a community feel – treated as equals across district

Opportunity to speak

Clubs

Extracurricular

sports

Sports

Need assistance for system for fast turnaround

Lots of crime in Albuquerque

Safety: students know/aware what to do community

Diverse incomes – equality in education (meeting everyone’s needs)

Equity in education is a challenge

Expecting the unexpected

Community will need time to get comfortable with new supt; building trust

Student voice is growing

Balancing time & topics: communication

Attendance

Grad rates

Expanding on external and internal safety, like bullying

Low in ed in nation – long term plan for everyone in community

Filling jobs w/ qualified staff/teachers quickly; qualified subs

Needs of teachers & staff are met (including nurses admin coaches) – support for teachers

Young – identify with young families (6)

Teacher/ed/counselor (19)

Listen to students

Understand diversity with/in APS & in city (6)

Business background (2)

Communication

Frugal background, less of a resume; didn’t come from high power background (3)

APS community experience (6)

New Mexican, not “out-sider”, from w/in (however, knowledge @ transfer students) (1)

Background in APS, being familiar with current issues

Understand what students need (8)

Equity in Education (19)

Value students voices (7)

Value safety, well-being, and education of students (& health) (15)

Fairness of political voices (12)

Open minded willing to hear constructive criticism (6)

Communicate resources

Build bridges

Safety (physically & with policies) (1)

Encourage students – not about letters or #’s (6)


Page 28 of 49










new superintendent?

Budget: pay & resources to encourage teachers to come & stay

College readiness and career readiness (10)

Show more options than just stay in state

November 18, 2019 Sandia High School Approximate Attendance: : 12

Environment, culture, people

Active art community; music

A lot of green space

BEST weather

Accessible – able to access various buildings, museums, people

Lots of free parking

Participation in how next Supt. is selected

Military community influence

Optimism of opportunity to improve

Special places; neighborhoods

Quality of integrity of school employees

Clusters from elementary high school

Schools have a neighborhood connection

Community schools & community school initiatives

Diversity of charter schools

Increase use of metrics in classroom to gauge students

Presence of school-based health centers

Commitment of APS, in for the long haul

Amount of technology available

Services to Special Education students

Ability to create a synergy

Find a way to serve gifted students

Holding honestly accountable as a role model

Personnel vacancies

Yazzie Martinez implementation

Attracting young people into teaching profession

Preparing students for future workforce

Understanding cultural differences

Reducing # of disciplinary actions against students of color

Mental health challenges for students

Restore adult control/order in classrooms

To encourage home visits thru out the system

Increase graduation rates; level the playing field

Promoting all amazing schools/events thru out district

MA

Background in leadership for our district (3)

Diversity

Working with diverse populations (2)

Worked in APS: principal level; connection to teacher & students (4)

Understand the effectiveness of programs in place and those that need to be changed (2)

Passion that leads to energy (2)

Have a sense of urgency to get things done (2)

Diverse/cultural training

Ability to connect with legislators to increase the funding model increase teacher pay – all employees (4)

Gen X or younger (1)

Will to be a role model of current student standards of conduct (6)

Is it good for kids? (1)

Faculty friendly/student focused, visionary (4)

Aggressive ID of gifted students – test all 2nd graders (5)


Page 29 of 49










new superintendent?

Integrity @ the forefront of their actions

Transparency (3)

Accessible

Connection of education to the workforce & economic stability (6)

Wanting to get to know each school (1)

Value trades “TVI” for kids

Sense of humor :) (2)

Perception of social media (1)

November 19, 2019 Bruce and Alice King Educational Complex Employees Approximate Attendance: : 10

Outdoor amenities biking/hiking

Diverse state and very accepting/friendly

Weather – 4 seasons

Centrally located

Good food

Taxes aren’t too bad

Highly educated employees – very invested/energetic; like spark change

Commitment to equity in school district

Commitment to review practice

Good opportunities for PD

Size of the district

Communication across the district

Staffing – teacher/EA… vacancies are a challenge – all positions

Graduation rates – significantly lower than national average; need to address HS as college prep; need more vocational opportunities

Mitigating effects of poverty across district

Long-term strategic planning

Within NM

Special Education’s needs (4)

Universal design – Special Education

Has experience in ES/MS/HS – all 3 (1)

5 years or more experience in the classroom (4)

“Recent” school site administration (3)

Experience working with a large complex budget (5)

Tech savvy

Understanding NM centric population (1)

Knowledge of curriculum/instruction at all levels (6)

Using data to inform instruction (4)

Tech savvy


Page 30 of 49










new superintendent?

Bilingual (1)

Values NM diversity (2)

Understanding employment first practices (1)

Understanding the full picture of transition at all levels (IDEA)

Tech savvy

Put kids first (6)

Sense of humor

Functional understanding of law

Systematic focus on racial equity across departments

Exceeds PED expectations

Address the amount of turnover

Considers mental health needs of students

Implement practices for family engagement

Demonstrated experience in community organizing for educational justice

Ability to prioritize the needs of a large organization

November 21, 2019 Volcano Vista High School Approximate Attendance: : 16

Green chile

Mountains & weather

4 seasons

Diversity of people & culture

We don’t have traffic…

Not a stressful city… yet

Flexibility of dual credit programs

Open door policy with Admin

Student centered

Students have options & balanced extracurriculars

Dedicated school communities/administrations

Getting families involved with

their children need to get the entire community involved; start inclusion earlier

Getting over old stigmas

Growing city

Pay equity with employees

Absenteeism – student engagement

Classroom instruction

Instructional leadership w/large #’s

With diverse populations

Track record of success

Demonstration of success (1)

Demonstrated success in creating synergy in a district that did not have synergy prior; positive (4)


Page 31 of 49










new superintendent?

Biggest little town- lots of history, connections, family connections

As a woman owned business, I am supported; product of APS

Having Sandia Labs and tech companies

Balloon fiesta

Low cost of living

Support of bilingual programs: bilingual seal

Diverse school that interface with the community

Family engagement

School health services

Graduation rates

Public perception of APS is poor

Violence in schools

Social emotional struggles with kids

Supporting gifted programs

Get families to care & get involved; get engaged

Current Supt: impressed – feel that she cares & is engaged; local; educator previously

Data driven result with an education background & positive outcomes (4)

Skilled in creating synergy (3)

Achieving organizational objectives (1)

Limit duplication of efforts (1)

Demonstration on dealing with chronically disruptive students (2)

Promoted from within

Innovator to elevate APS ranking – plan

Willing to talk to ALL students (2)

Local (3)

Highly educated

Seasoned

Respected

“one of us” – NM (1)

Understanding

Compassionate (1)

A people person (2)

Not a paper pusher

Innovative – bigger picture person (2)

Create a synergy (1)

Role model (1)

Have a plan

Deal more effectively w/ chronically disruptive students (2)

Value education of children 1st regardless of cost (4)

Understanding of mental health & health and how effects attendance (1)


Page 32 of 49










new superintendent?

Understanding cultural and language barriers

Resilience (1)

Having family values

Have a passion to see lives change (3)

Integrity (2)

Approachable

Committed to communication (1)

Ability to engage everyone in ABQ (1)

Transparency

Role model (1)

Willing to receive help and create partnerships (5)

Relentless (4)

From here with proven track record

Consider African American candidate

November 22, 2019 Bruce and Alice King Educational Complex Business and Government Approximate Attendance: : 18

Sunshine

Diversity – people; geographic

The people

Culture

Food – green chile

Hiking

Strong student support

Diversity of staff

Dedicated teaching staff

Community involvement opportunities

Community has supported district financially

Commitment from the district staff to the community

Variety of programs

Strong partnerships

Financial

Hiring and retention of staff

School safety

Raising graduation rates

Lowering dropout rates

Student proficiency

Shrinking population

Breaking down silos

Systems of a large school district that are customer friendly

Lack of agreement of what quality education is & how to measure it

Experience with refugee, immigrants

Awareness of the world

Worldwide view

Balance between classroom, mid-level admin in large district

Experience in a high performing school district (6)

Proven successful leader (3)

Experience running large district successfully (4)

Experience with community school (2)


Page 33 of 49










new superintendent?

Public perception of financial accountability

Addressing social emotional needs of schools

Engagement of business communities, families and students

Communication to the community

Finding resources for counselors, nurses, social workers

Transformational leadership experience & processes

Experience working with school board & listen to direction from the board

Non-governmental work experience

Intentional team building (1)

Standardize testing programs nation and knowing which ones are best

Worked with multiple diverse populations (6)

MA or higher – minimum

Green belt six sigma

Ability to design & implement a vision (2)

Communicate & motivate community to support vision (2)

Team builder

Success working with multiple unions while staying focused on kids (3)

Be independent – keep students first (1)

Parent, grandparent (1)

Integrity

Bilingual a plus, but not critical

Skilled communicator – internal/media community (1)

Successful running an accountable org (2)

Proven record of being proactive vs reactive

Great listener (1)


Page 34 of 49










new superintendent?

Ability to maneuver in in a very contentious political environment

Thick skin

Classroom experience (4)

Problem solver

High standards high expectations

Data driven decision maker, inclusive (1)

Experience working with high risk populations (3)

Better working relationship with the PED

Make the hard right decision vs easy popular one (3)

Integrity (2)

Honesty (1)

Ability to follow thru

Values students in decision making (4)

Humility

Sense of humor :) (1)

Motivator

Shows respect for staff, work

Values excellence in professionalism & performance (1)

Values collaboration

Share the credit with those that deserve it (2)

November 25, 2019 Eisenhower Middle School

Hope

Natural beauty and cultural diversity

Teacher care, doing best they can, Gifted teachers especially, majority of teachers

Emergency procedures so students feel safe

Focus on high standards, gifted & high potential students

Recruiting Qualified Teachers (4)

Gifted Ed

Exp. In large school district (6)

Expedite funding

Negotiations


Page 35 of 49










new superintendent?

Approximate Attendance: : 22

Moderate cost of living & moderate weather

Food

Unique & Diverse activities

Weather

Arts &University & CNM

Friendly Place

People

National Laboratory

Fine arts programs, choir, band, music, mariachi, ballet folklorico

Size of district, ability to leverage capital

Beautiful facilities & well kept

Solid superintendent & Board that is forward looking

Family & Parent Support & Friends

Bilingual Seal

Admin Staff, experienced staff that understands how to leverage limited resources

Charters, magnets, schools of choice

Dual credits for high school students

High poverty

Diversity – lack of diversity with African American students and teachers and administrators

Developing culturally relevant curriculum so students see themselves in the curriculum

Size of district

Yazzie/Martinez lawsuit compliance

Low graduation rates

Class sizes

Social media negativity

Population – ESL

High turnover & vacancy rate with teachers

Dealing w/ drug problem

Facility maintenance

Student mental health & suicide

Classroom teaching experience (3)

Experience dealing with teacher unions (1)

Experience improving struggling schools (2)

Experience with community schools

Understanding poverty & impact on families & schools (3)

Building & leveraging relationships with government, business & community organizations (6)

Working with parents & families (5)

Unique NM Funding formula for public schools (1)

Understanding standardized testing & impact across students & staff (1)

Experience with similar student populations (1)

Gifted Ed

Mindset: Expect excellence (1)

Demonstrated evidence of ability to get things done (2)

Negotiations (1)

Understanding diversity of NM & willing to learn (8)

Commitment to Pre-K

Sobriety

Maturity (4)

Inter-personal stability (3)

Understanding standardized testing and impact across students and staff (3)


Page 36 of 49










new superintendent?

Mindset: Expect excellence (1)

Dialogue & transparency (4)

Willing to accept criticism (2)

Solicit feedback & make use of it (4)

Negotiations

Importance of vision (4)

Purpose

Appreciation of great teachers & great teaching (2)

Experience with community schools (1)

Observe and then implement their ideas (4)

Anti-Racism (7)

To nurture the whole student & child (3)

Value of multilingualism & teaching foreign language at elementary or dual language (2)

Consider African American candidate

November 25, 2019 Alvarado Elementary School Approximate Attendance: : 10

Weather – outdoors almost everyday

Cultural diversity

History of the area

Friendly community

Proximity to other things in the state – skiing, Colorado, Phoenix

Balloon Fiesta

NM food

Staff: very accepting, student-focus, educate the whole child

Diversity: student, staff, programs

Choices: lots of choices in schools

Approachability to the district, voice is heard

Support of students with special needs students

Diversity of school communities

Size of the district

Budget – working with state provides

Working with PED

HS graduation rate

Kindergarten student prep could be better (early education)

Maintenance of all facilities

Up to date technology

Education background (4)

Not brand new to superintendent seat (1)

Business ($$) background (2)

Bilingual (3)

Interacting with communicate with other agencies we deal with UNM, CNM, ABQ1 (1)

Working experience in larger district

Vision on where APS should be going


Page 37 of 49










new superintendent?

Minimal traffic

Safe

Community is supportive of one another

Spread out community, good neighborhoods

Cost of living

Vibrant artistic/musical art community

Unique places to visit w/in NM & Albuquerque

Public art

Great outdoor rec areas

Great education foundation

Great support district/central office provides admin employees

Opportunity to grow professionally

Support for economically disadvantaged students

Community schools model

Data-systems used

Quality of education

Working with transportation dept.

Finding right team support the instruction (support for instructional leaders)

Amount of red tape structural bureaucracy

No communication between departments

Lack of knowledge of admin to day-to-day school: admin too removed

Public perception

Communication & Marketing (where is $$ going? Need better communications on this area)

Risk management

Competition from charters & private schools

PhD in education/admin

Proven abilities in being innovative (1)

Proven success in working with social issues

Strong communicator (3)

Leader of people/teams (2)

Approachable (1)

Understands community schools as a strategy (1)

Fiscally responsible towards students (3)

Integrity (6)

Community minded

Participates w/in the community (1)

Child/student focused (1)

Diversity – value of

Innovative programs

Data driven (2)

Optimist

Compassionate (1)

Values APS education foundation (2)

Value the present appreciate the past (zone structure) (2)

Continuity (2)

Setting clear expectations of students and staff (2)

Values EE’s as professionals

Strives for excellence

November 26, 2019

Mountains/summer

360 days of sunshine

Teachers – dedicated and professional

Centralized vision – balance allowing schools to determine

Experience as a superintendent (2)


Page 38 of 49










new superintendent?

Roosevelt Middle School Approximate Attendance: : 10

Multicultural

Lots of history

Sunsets

Arts

Food

Small town feel

Services: hospitals, schools, services, river rafting, outdoor activities (adults/children), biopark explora museum of natural history, abq museum

Green space

Fresh local produce

Admin – dedicated and professional

Caring attitude on every level

Friendly people

People care about students

Lots of programs and services o Clothes bank o Counselors & nurses every

school

Support services for kids

Unique things step up -restorative practices

Great board members supportive very student focused; do homework; pros/cons decisions

Schools of choice

Variety of environments and choices: NE SE River, Mountains

District invests in people/staff with research including educational programs

Bilingual schools

Strong partnerships o Community o Professional

Any student belongs regardless of origin

for their school’s needs & needs of local community with school; autonomy

Being unified as a district; left hand doesn’t know what right hand is doing; top-down

Balancing needs of academics vs social emotional needs more mental/behavioral supports in schools with limited budget

Training individual (teachers, EAs, staff, custodians) in trauma based practices

How attract qualified pool of staff to district/state?

Give principals tools needed to address issues today (families, engagement, reading, involvement) Gap exists in society: single parents/both working absent

Turning around negative #s (dropout rates, grad rates, etc.)

Advocate things right for kids (e.g., foster care students)

Turn around negative public perception – press/social media and inaccurate information

Ensure equity of funding to all

schools (e.g., ES Title I MS 0 Title I no services)

Experience working with unions students drive needs not needs of unions and bargaining (1)

District leadership experience not necessarily supt. Experience

Able to require hi expectations & allow & supports not crutches, scaffolding released as necessary

Master at implementation via simplification (2)

Experience in looking at large organizations thoughtfully; look @ existing to build on strengths (7)

Encourage pay based on results

Counterpoint: must be an equitable process

Experience with turning around academic level they came from (school, district, neighborhoods) (2)

Create systems & procedures implement & sustain (2)

Able to navigate political & media rollercoasters (4)

Doctoral degree: research based programs; partners with institution of higher learning

High energy person

Students first (4)

Not a political person

Equal pay for equal work

Equity in pay across district equity in grades for non-union employees vs union; way classification is done by job description (2)

Integrity


Page 39 of 49










new superintendent?

Trustworthy

Believes in building moral to retain staff & students (1)

Good communicator values communication throughout all levels of organization; good listener & processes info (5)

Growth mindset value it & driving force everyone can learn (5)

Good motivator seeking high expectation results (3)

December 2, 2019 Zia Elementary School Approximate Attendance: : 18

Diverse population

Community – families; culture

Sincere, welcome, genuine, nice , low key people

Rich arts (music/dance)

Close to hiking trails – valley, mountains

Great weather

CNM & UNM

Inclusive people; accepting

Quality of teaching

Some schools offer IB diploma

Bilingual seal

Dual language

Community schools model – wraparound services; walking school bus; clothing bank; SBAC; food pantry; before & after school; extended learning programs

All elementary schools have art and/or music and alternate; some have both

Amazing family and community engagement

Supporting different types of cultures and teaches about different type of cultures

Work more on math programs and teachers to incorporate program attention to students who need more help

Addressing staffing challenges

If hire broader – time needed to learn about Abq.

Class size – over limits

Children with increased needs – homeless; trauma; hunger need more counselors, social workers, & others to work with these children

Need for teachers so class sizes are smaller

Becoming to insular

Maintaining district autonomy from state PED; meeting needs of district even if conflicts with PED

Worked from ground up in this district (3)

Working with community organization (2)

Experienced teacher (10+ years) in public or charter school; teaching in diverse populations (12)

Principal 5+ years & classroom experience (1)

Teaching ESL

Understanding Native American genocide (2)

Understanding intersectionality (ethnic studies for all students not just elective; K-12) (4)

Experience with queer spaces

Demonstrated experience to successfully leading change (2)

Collaborative decision maker (2)

Charismatic (1)

Inspiring (5)


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Multicultural programs to help all students learn about all programs

Unions

Across district – comprehensive special education services

Room to grow in academics success & opportunity to become an academic leader

Yazzie-Martinez decree – need to understand

Involvement in school safety students & staff

Building services – maintenance of heating and cooling systems

Customer service at every level

State requirements needed for superintendent certification

From NM (2)

Bilingual (5)

Could be native or fluent speaker of a NM language (2)

Thorough understanding of 21st century educational practices

Must support Pre-K (4)

Values NM families in deep manner – not just diversity training

Interested in learning about APS

Looking for ideas from community (3)

Interested in learning about us – students, teachers, and understand our true history (2)

Be willing to be a fantastic listener and not come intending to implement their ideas, but look for ideas from the community

Listening and values their employees (8)

Willingness to learn

Diversity – all (including SES) (4)

Understanding effects of trauma and poverty and how to address those needs; K-12 (5)

High academic standards for all students (10)

Committed to community interaction; community input meetings


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Spending quality time in schools with children (without evaluations monthly; no excuses) (3)

Understands mental health compounded by other circumstances (e.g., children experiencing generalized anxiety in addition to poverty & trauma)

Servant leader (2)

Community school model & recognizes innovation possible that is possible (4)

Care more about people around them (e.g., board member situations & outcomes) (1)

Genuinely caring about students

December 3, 2019 Manzano Mesa Elementary School Approximate Attendance: : 8

Sunshine

Diverse: nationalities, economic backgrounds

Different cultures – blended

Festivals

Hometown

Food

Progressive

Potential

Big small town

Traditions: history, stories

Outdoor activities

Theater, arts

Schools of choice

Extraordinary teachers

Community schools

Community support

Support whole student through wraparounds services

Many generations, traditions

Ancillary services (robust)

Incredible Special Education

Support for/from military community

Bilingual education

Willingness to listen, make changes (staff, district, board)

Make real changes

Communication: top down

Getting our message out

Fiscal responsibility

Getting positive news out

Special education implementation

Working with different cultures

Teacher support: from administration, resources

Families in poverty

Building trust, relationships

Diverse needs of schools

Size of district

Teacher, administration morale

Diverse district (3)

Classroom teacher (3)

Business experience (3)

Supervisory experience

Principal (3)

Political experience

Service to community (military, volunteerism)

Working with community leaders (1)

Whole child, SEL experience (5)

Experience working with diverse – special ed, cultural, economic (5)

Has lived in NM (1)

Working with refugee families

Working with PED (1)


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Friendly people

Focus on improvement

Blending of state/union/board requirements

Be mindful of transition

Buy-in

Experience with Safety requirements – balance (3)

Worked with Bridged gaps – transformation turnaround (5)

Post graduate (masters +) in education (2)

Associate supt or supt (district leader) in a district (3)

Business background

Work in community schools (5)

Good speaker/ communicator

Personable/relatable (1)

Knowledge of federal/state laws & mandates around education (2)

Innovative (3)

Student focused (4)

Family oriented (3)

Families as an asset (3)

Accepting of cultural differences

Humility

Values all APS employees – whole spectrum (1)

Team leadership

Can delegate

Integrity (1)

Visionary (2)

Arts/culture

Willing to learn/change/ make changes (2)

High expectations (4)

Restorative justice (8)

Values/understands mental/physical health (3)


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December 3, 2019 Rio Grande High School Approximate Attendance: : 16

Incredible arts community

Emergent big city with tremendous cultural depth

Cultural diversity

Language diversity – English, Spanish, Native and African languages and more

Tremendous opportunity to grow and “change our story”

Beauty of city, scenic farm land, mountains, and river

OUR FOOD!

Incredible potential of students

Schools/school district helpful with many resources for students

Remarkable teachers and staff to be lifted up

Current strong school board

35 community schools and growing

APS’ growing support of community schools as a strategy for academic and community achievement

Community support for school bonds

Well maintained schools

Safe environment; ability to learn without fear

School district has good relationship with elected officials

We have a strong vision as the foundation

Need for new teachers

Martinez/Yazzie lawsuit

Decreasing chronic absenteeism

Accountability for special education community – students, staff, & teachers

School counselors’ pay vs teachers’ pay

Attrition of support staff due to lack of living wage

Overall ranking in the USA

Increasing the safety of schools

Addressing language needs of diverse populations

Homeless student populations & hunger issues

Ensuring across the board commitment for cultural sensitivity & equity

Respectful of recent structural changes due to sheer size of district

Budget for programs for students’ mental health

Ensuring a commitment to restorative practices (RP)/justice

Increase graduation rate

Provide necessary resources based on needs of the zones

Student college & career & life readiness

Communication in all directions (4)

Community-minded (3)

21st century skills: technology collaborator, communicator, innovator (3)

Experience working in a large school district with diverse populations (5)

Worked in NM’s education system (2)

Experience with different social and economic communities (1)

Classroom and administrator experience (5)

Early childhood education (4)

Demonstrated commitment to cultural sensitivity & equity (4)

Relationship building skills

Being relatable (4)

Racial sensitivity & equity (5)

A good grasp of medication

Commitment to supporting LGBTQ students (4)

Just love kids (and not just little ones) (3)

Resolve conflicts peacefully

Proactive nature

Experience with behavioral health needs (9)

Stated commitment to attend anti-racism trainings

Poverty training (2)

Innovation (3)

Commitment to transparency (2)


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New superintendent will work closely with elected officials to retain teachers & be allowed to come back without penalty through ERB

Authenticity (1)

Able to put themselves in students’ positions when making academic decisions (4)

Community minded (3)

A commitment to inclusivity (i.e., student voice in a substantive way) (1)

Values human capital (2)

Approachable (1)

Acknowledging students as a whole person including mental health (2)

To be open minded (2)

Being culturally sensitive to different religions

Mindfulness (2)

Equal opportunity (4)

December 5, 2019 Albuquerque High School Approximate Attendance: : 14

Culture

Natural beauty

Weather

Diversity

Affordability

History

Outdoor recreation

Food

Balloon fiesta

Art/music

Incoming organizations/businesses

Opportunity

Beautification – infrastructure

Dedicated employees

Community schools

SES whole range of community – social economic inclusive

No suburbs

Diversity

Willingness to recruit leaders from out of state

Support for bilingual education, multicultural

NM state funding model – equitable

One district – equitable distribution of funds

Instability – supt changes; changes from PARCC

Instability policy

Lack of sufficient funding

Underlying “ghettoization” of some of our schools – pockets of despair

School choice

Student diversity – needs, culture, special education (not meeting/serving them equitably)

Training students to be ready for the new challenges/future (e.g. computer science)

Background knowledge of population in Abq (2)

Transformational leadership in large organization (1)

Public school teacher managing large budget

Business (4)

Coaching and developing leaders (3)

Know about students (1)

Outside classroom – e.g., non-profit

Organizational development – look creatively at structure (4)

Result based decision making (1)

Strategic management of actionable plans (3)


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UNM

Growing state budget

Feeling of family – community

Relationship of APS, City, County – work in partnership

Learning zone model

Ability/access to community partnership – Sandia Labs, Office of Medical Examiner

Flexibility of charter schools – schools of choice

Open to meaningful parent engagement – not just service

Mental health of students

Wages for all employees – increases

Challenge of leading true change – tension; balancing stability with taking risk for change

Charter schools

Big size – not nibble

Ability to work with PED, legislators (2)

Vision

Track-record of success in urban district (3)

Commitment to community

Records of success in previous relationships/accomplishments (results are proof) (2)

Track record working with elected officials, community, groups, and teachers (2)

Building partnerships with city, businesses, UNM (4)

Manage conflict and have hard conversations

Demonstrated through data/example of their commitment (3)

Comprehensive plan for staffing high quality agendas (1)

Independent (2)

Free from conflict of interest

Appreciation of excellence (2)

Equity through increasing excellence

Sees good in teachers, student, Abq (we are a great community) (1)

Passion for education and families

Opportunities for actionable voice for families and communities (4)

Investing and trusting teachers as leaders for school-based change (2)


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Creative courage to challenge status quo (4)

Continuous quality improvement

Values public education

Integrity (5)

Humility and listening to others (3)

Transparency (5)

Learner

Thick-skinned – not holding grudges (3)

Inspirational – bring families back to traditional education (1)

Investing in social emotional learning (8)

December 5, 2019 Jimmy Carter Middle School Approximate Attendance: : 19

Weather

Culture – resistance

Outdoors – camping, fishing, skiing, hiking, biking

Traditions

Food – chile 😊

Language - resistance

Diversity – resistance

Affordable cost of living

Ballooning

Mountains

Resilience – city, people

Art – mural, graffiti, poet laureates, music

Bosque

Bio parks

Size

Zones

Associates

Feeling of family

Growing opportunities for students

Bilingual

Whole child perspective

Diversity

How progressive the funding for equity across the state (salary for teachers, baseline compensation structure)

Unfolding of Yazzie/Martinez lawsuit

Small but growing ethnic studies program (Native American studies)

Size

Ensuring Yazzie Martinez – four-part strategy

Extended school years

Teacher retention/shortage

Teacher pay

Ignoring complexities – linear thinking vs network thinking

Special Education compliance & understanding complexities

Counselor shortage & retention

Mental health

Resources for students with disabilities

Grad rates

Poverty

Funding

Classroom education experience - several years (9)

No bureaucratic experience; need fresh eyes

Principal experience (1)

Student-centered (2)

Creative thinker (2)

Social emotional physical needs of student

Systems thinker – not bound by system (2)

Good track record (3)

Risk-taker (1)

Values traditions but forward thinking (3)

Teaching/admin in Title I setting/school (1)

21st century experience (2)

Bilingual (7)


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Professional development for teachers

Magnet schools

Schools of choice

Expansion of fine arts

Students

Families

Teachers – experience, diversity, ethnicity

Businesses & Organizations – LULAC, UNM, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, CNM

Supporting parental needs – helping to be good parents

Working with PED

Collection & transparency of data and plans with students, policy, districtwide

Older buildings

Resources for bilingual and ESL students

Willing to work with multiple/all stakeholders – various settings; community/schools, etc. (2)

Good listener (1)

Internal candidate – APS (7)

Good communicator (4)

Proven leadership (2)

Understanding education process & instructional process (1)

Collaborative (1)

Provided school safety (2)

Comprehends current organizational structures

Well-spoken – motivational, articulate, orator

Knowledge of physical, social, emotional (3)

Masters degree or higher in education (3)

Open door policy

supportive of community school model (1)

transparent leadership (3)

willing to work in trenches (2)

honest (5)

transparent (1)

trustworthy (1)

accountability

admit mistakes (2)

integrity (5)

community focus – internal/external (3)

student-centered (8)

collaborative (1)


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open minded

values fine arts & will continue it (2)

flexible in different areas and disciplines (1)

values Maslow Hierarchy of Needs (3)

values extracurricular activities

values competitive pay (1)

values multilingual (3)

democratically oriented (2)

December 5, 2019 (Spanish) Jimmy Carter Middle School Approximate Attendance: : 12

Connection to culture and roots

Diversity and mutual respect between cultures

Opportunities to have fun, a city that is always improving

Climate/ less contamination than other cities

Programs that aid education and other needs

The size of the city; not too big nor too small

You can find people who speak Spanish everywhere

The mountains; open skies and being able to see the stars

Safety

The new way that the district is divided

The bilingual programs

The unity of the community

The leadership (bilingual/bicultural leaders)

Opportunities for people with disabilities (support/ programs)

The effort to make more community schools and improve family engagement (still improving) o School for the parents

“Escuela de Padres” (creciendo juntos)(West Mesa High School)

The district is always trying to improve

The district is more open to each school making programs

Getting to know that schools and the communities (uniqueness of communities)

Elevate the education at the district level

How are we going to recruit good teachers? How will we keep them? o Teachers who understand

the subjects they’re teaching

Finding good bilingual teachers that are bilingual and bicultural and that can connect and relate to the kids

How to create more after school programs? Look at the budget for the after-school programs to support the kids o Specifically tutoring for

middle school

Winning over the support of the communities and continuing

Outside experience other than education (3)

Previous teacher or principal for 10 years

Experience with children of all ages

Knowledge/experience in psychology/social sciences; Have their own kids (7)

Experience through generations (have people with previous experience and knowledge)

Experience as a leader

Bilingual (8)

Come with good evaluations

No criminal record

Experience in all of the academic levels (elementary, middle, and high school)

Good communication skills

Experience and awareness of different cultures and languages

Must be humble


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that work for their specific community

with and improving what the previous Superintendent did

Be more involved in the communities/ be more present in the communities

We need more therapists, counselors, social workers o Providing emotional and

social support for the students and teachers

How will the new Superintendent deal with the School to prison pipeline? How can they change this problem? How will they separate APS from APD and how will they work together?

How will they deal with bullying and substance abuse? o Creating more programs to

keep the kids away from that like sports and other programs

o Quality after school programs, keeping their mind busy with things that they are interested in

o Intervention from the beginning, starting with the parents

o Also how will they support teachers with their mental and physical help

Respectful

Like to work/ good work ethic (7)

Committed

Empathetic

Good communication skills

Documents

Superintendent Search 2020 Survey and Community Forum Results · Executive Summary On October 8, 2019, Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) Superintendent Raquel Reedy formally announced