District 2: Candidate Questionnaire Adrian Nogales

Name: Adrian Nogales

District: 2

Age: 38

Education: M.A. in curriculum and instruction, Grand Canyon University 2018/B.A. in geography, University of Texas at San Antonio

Occupation: Teacher at Tres Volcanes Community Collaborative School

Family: Antonia

What’s the biggest issue APS faces? How would you address it?

The biggest issues that threaten APS are a massive shortage of teachers and dozens of police officers in the district. The district needs to expand recruitment and retention. You can't learn without a teacher present and schools aren't safe right now without a police presence.

Albuquerque saw more guns on school campuses last year than any other year in recent memory. As a board member, how would you shape policy to address this issue, and to increase school communities’ feelings of safety while on campus?

21 guns recovered/five shootings have occurred on APS campuses in the past 16 months and there is a bare minimum police presence at any school. Little policy was considered until (District Attorney Sam) Bregman forced the issue in March 2023. APS needs to own the problem and shape policy, like yesterday.

As APS continues with its districtwide effort to right-size, what would your priorities be when faced with tough decisions about reimagining or repurposing schools?

I was one of 300 teachers right sized (changed schools/positions) in 2022. Five teachers at my school were right sized out, three have completely left teaching, exacerbating the teacher shortage crisis. My situation was upgraded, yet I'm still furious at the district's mishandling of delicate career decisions.

APS students this school year will be in school longer and have different bell schedules than last year. How will you support students, educators and other staff through this transition?

School board members can take data and make recommendations to the Public Education Department. Teachers are overworked and students are underserved at all district levels. District 2 needs major relief in the form (of) a third high school (on the West Side). I will advocate tirelessly to support the entire community.

The current school board has laid out several goals for APS for the next five years. To what extent do they align with your goals as a board member, do you think they’re appropriate, and do you think they’re feasible?

I'm not opposed to a roadmap to guide us. However, a past board doesn't run the future and the "Goals and Guardrails" fail to address actual issues in APS. To achieve any goals, we need to recruit teachers and get teachers certified in special education where we have 146 vacancies.

How much input should parents have in the curriculum and instructional materials used in their children's classrooms?

Parents are the most important members in decisions made for their children. I encourage all parents to attend community forums about instructional material and don't be afraid to poke around. I taught kindergarten in Santa Fe, the best informed parents checked the backpack everyday. Parents, please check everyday K-12.

It’s been five years since the landmark decision in the consolidated Yazzie-Martinez lawsuit. As a board member in the state’s largest district, how do you plan to help Albuquerque’s most underserved students?

I read, write and speak Spanish everyday at home. My school offers both Navajo language and Spanish language yet the district doesn't pay our two bilingual endorsed teachers a $5,000 stipend owed by law. In 2021 and 2022 the teacher union "leaders" and APS "leaders" ignored us.

The school board is currently in the process of looking for a new superintendent. What do you want out of that person?

Too many superintendents have come and gone in the past 10 years. We need a committed and community minded leader. The school board needs to hire a problem solver, with safety on their mind and improving literacy in their background. No tabling decisions, our district is dynamic and needs leadership.

What experience do you have overseeing a budget?

I was an executive director at Golden Acorns summer camp in Santa Fe, bookkeeping and running payroll for one of the city's largest camps. I also previously ran million-dollar calculations working for Pfizer and PepsiCo pension plans with Fidelity Investments. I'm a watchdog, free of political graft and greed.

In your opinion, what is the primary role of a school board member?

A school board member needs to advocate for their district and work with the other board members to advance the entire district as a whole. Very few board members have been challenging Santa Fe and making recommendations for students/teachers/parents which is outlined in the school boards responsibilities.

What role should board members have in district negotiations with unions over issues facing school staff?

The school board should support the teacher union. The union sends 7 people to negotiate $2.2 billion and is currently ran for 24 years by Ellen Bernstein, who makes over $100,000 in union dues and is paid $78,192.59 by APS as a teacher yet hasn't taught since 1999.

Editor's note: Bernstein has disputed this claim more than once, saying that she does not collect two salaries and that while she is listed on APS' salary information page, everything is reimbursed to the district.

How would you evaluate the current school board’s performance?

We've been through a lot as a district and as a community in the past three years. With that said the current school board is completely divided across party lines. Peggy Muller-Aragón has stormed out of meetings and in general just been a voice of dissent and little reason.

Have you or your business, if you are a business owner, ever been the subject of any state or federal tax liens?

Never.

Have you ever been involved in a personal or business bankruptcy proceeding?

Never.

Have you ever been arrested for, charged with, or convicted of drunken driving, or any misdemeanor or felony?

Never, just one parking ticket that I still contest.