The process of selecting a replacement for outgoing Superintendent Scott Elder is nearing its end, with finalists Dr. Thomas Ahart and Dr. Gabriella Durán Blakey fielding questions from Albuquerque Public Schools students this morning.

The finalists

Durán Blakey is the district’s chief of operations and has previously served as an associate superintendent in the district.

She is a former APS student and a graduate of Highland High School. Durán Blakey said that being in a position to possibly lead the district is a result of the opportunities that have come her way.

“I hope that opportunity isn’t just an anomaly, but what we have in store for all of our children,” she said.

Ahart, now a consultant with the Council of the Great City Schools, is a former superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools in Iowa.

He said that his approach to leadership is based on a belief that all students can learn and succeed, though they don’t all learn the same way. He said that all district staff are important to the success of APS students.

“We’re serving our public’s most valuable asset, which is our children,” Ahart said.

Six students from various grade levels across the district asked questions that covered topics such as social media and classroom technology policies, support for Indigenous students, discipline and safety, additional time for arts and extracurricular activities and how to provide better lunches.

One question: what is your stance on strict discipline versus restorative justice?

Ahart said young people face a level of danger that wasn’t present when he was a student. He said students must be held accountable for their actions, and that violence in any form is unacceptable.

“However, alienating the students who are engaging in that behavior is not helping the community,” Ahart said. “If we’re not helping them correct that in future situations, we’re really just not doing our job.”

He said that as a principal, he never kicked a student out of school, but worked with the family in each case to develop a plan for moving forward, often at another school.

Durán Blakey said that like math and reading, proper handling of interpersonal conflicts is part of education.

“Our responsibility is to make sure that when students are making poor decisions, we … coach them out of why they made that decision and how to make better decisions.

She said that as a principal, she looked at ways to help students make better decisions and think differently when future conflicts arose.

The Search 

The national search began in October, after it was determined that Elder will leave when his contract expires June 30.

“This is one of the most important decisions the board will ever make,” Director of Communications Monica Armenta said. “It will reach beyond APS, (as) everything APS does spills over into the rest of the community.”

McPherson & Jacobson, a Nebraska-based executive recruitment firm, was brought in to assist with the search. Armenta said the pool of 24 applicants was eventually trimmed to three finalists, including Mason Bellamy, who withdrew his name from consideration last week.

The process, Armenta said, involved extensive public input, including a survey that elicited more than 7,000 responses from the public, multiple listening sessions, and several interviews with the board. She said that public preferences helped shape the tone of the search.

“Having a voice heard is critical in a process like this,” she said.

Wish list

Armenta said that the five most common characteristics survey respondents sought for the next superintendent were putting students first, a background in education, a focus on safety and security, transparency and taking accountability for his or her actions. 

Board member Janelle Astorga said that she and her colleagues leaned heavily on the input from stakeholders throughout the process, looking for someone familiar with a large district, who understands how to implement new systems, is community-driven and understands the district’s diverse culture. 

“Both candidates not only check a lot of the boxes we were looking for but also have the personality and drive to make the necessary decisions to move APS in the right direction, focused on student outcomes,” Astorga said.

Ellen Bernstein, president of the Albuquerque Teachers Federation, said that the board survey closely resembled the preferences of union membership. 

Bernstein said the union is also hoping for someone who not only understands diversity, but also can work on strategies whereby every student can learn.

She said she’s hoping the next district head can hire support staff whose competencies complement his or her own — a great visionary thinker should bring in an excellent manager and vice versa.

Bernstein said she has worked with Durán Blakey and heard enough about Ahart to believe that they’re both strong candidates. She said the next superintendent will need to pay attention to educators’ workloads and morale, which will be key to keeping APS staffed as a number of teachers reach eligibility for retirement over the short term.

Making their cases

After answering the student questions, the candidates were given the chance to make brief statements about why they should be selected.

“I see myself in all of you,” Durán Blakey said. “It’s our responsibility to make sure you graduate with the skills, knowledge and attributes to succeed in all your goals.”

Ahart said he’s been impressed with the level of engagement the community has demonstrated during the process, as well as with the questions the students asked.

“You have a lot of great things going here, and it would certainly be an honor to join the team,” he said.

The attraction of APS

Armenta said that the position is ideal for someone dedicated to improving the opportunities available to students. She said that the next superintendent will be working with a school board that is newly tenured (all seven members have been elected since 2021) and that has created a new strategic plan, APS’ most comprehensive ever and the first to include measurable goals. 

She said that the superintendent position is among the most important jobs in Albuquerque, as the selected candidate will lead 12,000 employees at 140 schools and affect tens of thousands of families and the business community.

“There really isn’t another job in this city with a bigger impact,” Armenta said.

How to participate

An APS employee forum is set for 5 p.m. today, followed by a forum for the general public at 6. Those forums are at the Berna Facio Professional Development Complex, 3315 Louisiana Blvd. NE.