Forging a new partnership: UNM faculty shadow APS staff

Thirty-five faculty members from the University of New Mexico’s College of Education and Human Services fanned out to more than 20 elementary, middle and high schools and several facilities in the Albuquerque Public Schools to shadow staff and learn more about what the modern education field looks like.

Dubbed “Lobos@APS,” the event stemmed from an idea that professor and Director of Licensure Marjori Krebs had to connect the college’s faculty with the state’s largest school district. As a high school social studies teacher in Ohio for over a decade, Krebs’ district used to participate in a day when community members would visit the schools and shadow teachers to learn more about the line of work. Calling upon this experience, she decided to apply the format to the college.

“I know that this was helpful for me as a teacher to see the profession being recognized by people in the community, so I wanted to make the same connection opportunity possible for our faculty,” she explained. “It’s valuable to see what is happening with the professionals in this field.”

With that goal in mind, she presented the idea to the college’s dean, Kristopher Goodrich. Being in the role for less than a year, Goodrich saw it as an opportunity to kickstart a new working relationship between the college and APS, while also providing his faculty with the opportunity to see how teachers approach the field today and bring that real-world experience back to their students. The college soon presented its Lobos@APS idea to the district and got approval to pursue the event.

On Thursday, Goodrich spent his day alongside APS Superintendent Gabriella Blakey, who herself is relatively new to her position, formally starting in July. The pair visited Tony Hillerman and James Monroe middle schools on the West Side and spent time talking to staff and students. The pair bonded over the newly minted roles and how they can best move their working relationship forward in the future.

“This is a pilot program, but we’re hoping to expand it across all of our faculty members in the upcoming years if APS is willing to host us again,” Goodrich said. “There’s a great deal of excitement with our faculty to re-enter the classrooms. It’s really important to us.”

Blakey was also glowing in her response to the event and said future events can remind both UNM and APS staff how impactful their work is.

“We’re all part of Albuquerque and we work together in education and to have us working in a symbiotic relationship today is really important and a good reminder that teaching is such a rewarding field,” she said.

As for Krebs, she spent his day shadowing two first grade teachers at Apache Elementary School in the northeast area of the city. Working alongside students, the highlight of the experience was getting a chance to read a children’s book she wrote with her daughter, Taylor Potter, titled “Lobo Louie and Lobo Lucy Visit The University of New Mexico,” to both classes.

“I hope (UNM’s faculty) takes away a continued appreciation for the work that our partners in APS do,” Krebs said. “We cannot prepare (future) teachers without our partner schools.”