Santa Fe Public Schools holds superintendent finalist forums as community presses candidates on literacy, equity and staffing

Santa Fe Public Schools held two superintendent-finalist community forums on April 30, 2025, where three finalists — Dr. Neil Weaver, Dr. Fabiola Cantu and Dr. Christine Griffin — answered questions from parents, students, teachers and community members about literacy, equity, staffing and school operations.

The forums, at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m., were moderated by Tom Carroll and drew invited questions from 12 stakeholder representatives and additional public sign-ups. Board members and district staff attended; the board later moved into executive session to discuss personnel matters and reconvened without taking public action.

Why it matters: The superintendent selection will shape district priorities for literacy instruction, bilingual programming, staff retention, and how the district responds to the state Yazzie-Martinez equity ruling. Candidates’ answers and community feedback offered the board direct input on community priorities and concerns going into the hiring decision.

All three candidates opened with brief statements summarizing their experience. Dr. Neil Weaver identified himself as chief information strategy officer for Santa Fe Public Schools and emphasized long service in the district and commitment to community continuity, telling attendees, “I love this district. I love the state of New Mexico. I’m not going…