OPINION: APS building momentum on improvements

Recent weeks have seen intensified public conversation about Albuquerque Public Schools governance. While some criticism may reflect discomfort with change, it’s vital to separate unease from evidence. The APS Board is taking a thoughtful, forward-looking approach shaped by expert advice, community input, and, most importantly, a deep commitment to helping students succeed.

At the heart of this work is Student Outcomes Focused Governance (SOFG). It’s a shift in how school boards operate and is an approach that keeps the board focused on what matters most: student learning. That means setting clear, measurable goals and making sure everything the district does, from how we spend money to how we support teachers, helps students grow and learn.

Adopted in early 2023 after months of community engagement, including public meetings, forums and feedback, SOFG keeps the board’s attention on improving student learning. The board is now laser-focused on goals to raise third-grade English Language Arts proficiency from 27.3% to 37.3%; double eighth-grade math proficiency from 11.1% to 21.1%; increase the percentage of graduates earning college credits, industry certifications, or bilingual seals from 39.6% to 49.6%; and improve key life skills like perseverance and self-efficacy by at least 10 percentage points. These are not theoretical targets; they are actively monitored, publicly reported, and supported by board-adopted guardrails that define essential conditions for students to thrive, including wraparound supports, rigorous instruction, and meaningful family and community engagement.

Early evidence shows this focused strategy is working. More students are reaching early literacy benchmarks, math proficiency is improving, and chronic absenteeism declined from nearly 50% in 2021–22 to 28% in 2023–24. These are not abstract gains but real students, in real classrooms, making meaningful progress.

This progress is no accident. It reflects the board’s work to realign the district’s budget and operations around student needs. Community budget hearings held this year made it clear: The public wants its tax dollars spent in ways that drive results for kids. APS is doing just that by investing in what works and ensuring transparency in how decisions are made.

Strong governance means maintaining mission-focus. The board’s partnership with the Council of the Great City Schools (CGCS) provides expert coaching that helps maintain clarity and a results-driven approach. This brings necessary professionalism, discipline and transparency to governing, holding APS and the board to high standards.

Far from distancing leadership, SOFG has expanded community engagement. board members regularly hold community events, meet families, students and community members, and lead district-wide conversations. Furthermore, the Let’s Talk platform was launched to ensure families receive timely, accurate responses from the right departments, in their language, within two business days. It’s not a barrier; it’s a better bridge. And it complements, not replaces, the many ways the board stays connected from public comment to community forums.

The path APS is on is focused, responsible, and expert-backed. Let’s not confuse discomfort with dysfunction or abandon a framework as it begins to deliver. Now is the time for our community and leadership to stay the course. Our students deserve a system that puts their outcomes first and a board leading with intentionality. APS is modeling effective public education governance. Let’s keep going.