Principals tell APS board WEB mentoring raised middle-school belonging, early assessment gains
November 06, 2025 | ALBUQUERQUE PUBLIC SCHOOLS, School Districts, New Mexico
This article was created by AI summarizing key points discussed. AI makes mistakes, so for full details and context, please refer to the video of the full meeting. Please report any errors so we can fix them. Report an error »
Matthew Burrows, principal of Wilson Middle School, said the school's pairing of collaborative teacher teams and the WEB mentor program led to a stronger sense of belonging and measurable gains in Panorama survey results. "Our sense of belonging at our school grew from our last semester to this semester by 6% from 32 to 38%," Burrows said. He attributed the gains to team teaching and student mentorship that increased engagement among both students and teachers.
Crystal Friedman, principal at Eisenhower Middle School, described WEB as a program that pairs incoming sixth graders with trained eighth-grade leaders. Friedman said the initiative reduced social anxiety, produced stronger engagement and led to higher Panorama scores. "WEB has helped us create a culture where every student feels seen, supported, and like they truly belong," Friedman said.
Other speakers from John Adams, Desert Ridge, LBJ and Jefferson middle schools reported similar outcomes: increases on Panorama indicators (examples cited in public comments included 4% and 7% gains at specific campuses, and a 10-point increase in sense of belonging for one school's sixth graders), stronger teacher collaboration and fewer discipline referrals. Several principals credited organized 90-day plans, targeted instructional work and trained WEB coaches for the improvements.
These accounts came during the public-comment period; no board action was taken on WEB at the meeting. Administrators later referenced the WEB initiative when discussing how social-emotional supports and adult team structures connect to academic goals in the monitoring report discussion.
View full meeting
This article is based on a recent meeting—watch the full video and explore the complete transcript for deeper insights into the discussion.
View full meetingSponsors
Proudly supported by sponsors who keep New Mexico articles free in 2025
