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APS board can approve Albuquerque teachers union new contract at upcoming meeting
Albuquerque Teachers Federation President Ellen Bernstein heads onto the stage to speak during an event for teachers at the Albuquerque Convention Center on Aug 4.
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The Albuquerque Teachers Federation’s contract for the next two years could be approved by the Albuquerque Public Schools Board of Education on Wednesday.
Among the most notable negotiated changes are a new policy that allows new teachers to have a minimum of two workdays to prepare to begin teaching and increased compensation for some teachers’ work outside of classrooms.
Ahead of the new school year, Superintendent Gabriella Blakey told the Journal she saw no issues with the negotiated changes in the contract.
According to longtime ATF President Ellen Bernstein, over 2,500 union members voted, with 97% voting yes to approve the ratified contract. The board now has the final say on its approval.
The contract currently appears on the meeting’s consent agenda and is slated for essentially automatic approval unless a board member requests that it be pulled for discussion.
The last time the board voted to approve a contract with the teachers’ union was in August 2023. It passed on a 4-3 vote, with former Board Member Peggy Muller-Aragón and current Board Members Courtney Jackson and Crystal Tapia-Romero voting against it.
Also on Wednesday’s agenda, the board will receive a report from district leadership on the progress the district is making toward its goals regarding high school graduates’ readiness.
The latest report shows continued progress the district is making toward its goal of improving student outcomes.
According to agenda materials, the students monitored are surpassing benchmark goals set for them. To achieve that goal, students must earn credits in two Advanced Placement or Dual Credit courses or receive a bilingual or industry certification.
For the last school year, nearly 46% of graduates accomplished the feat, above the goal of roughly 42%. By 2028, the district hopes that around half of its graduates will hit the set threshold.
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The previous school year’s numbers represent an over 3 percentage point increase from the 2023-24 school year.
