Albuquerque school board reports modest midyear gains on five‑year goals as parents and teachers press for concrete changes

At a community engagement event, Albuquerque Public Schools leaders gave a midyear progress update on the district’s five‑year goals, reporting incremental gains in early literacy, middle‑school math trajectories and post‑secondary readiness measures while taking detailed questions from parents, principals and teachers.

The update, presented by board president Ronaldo Tom Warito and co‑presenter Courtney Jackson, recapped four district goals adopted after community input in 2022: early literacy (reading by third grade), middle‑school math proficiency, post‑secondary readiness (AP/IB/dual credit, bilingual seal, career‑connected learning) and student skills and mindsets. “Every child matters, and we are committed to making sure every single one has the opportunity to succeed,” Warito said.

Why it matters: the board tied its goals to a 2018 court ruling the presenters repeatedly referenced as requiring stronger support for Native American students, English learners, students from low‑income families and students with disabilities. Presenters said the district has a large share of those students and that targeted work for those groups benefits the whole student population.

What the update showed: presenters cited specific interim gains. Second‑grade early literacy was reported to rise from 25.7% to 32.5% for the measured cohort; overall third‑grade reading outcomes were described as moving from 31.3% to 34.3% year‑over‑year. On math, presenters said middle‑school proficiency is “slowly moving toward” targets and cited a sixth‑grade subgroup figure of roughly 16.2% in an interim measure. For post‑secondary readiness, bilingual seal participation was reported at 44.1% (the stated five‑year target: 49.6% by May 2027), and 11th‑grade AP credit attainment was reported near 45.4%, a one‑year increase the presentation said was about 4.7 percentage points.

Community response and concerns: the presentation prompted sustained audience questioning about the district’s evidence base, equity and implementation. A principal from Garfield STEM Magnet said internal surveys show students reporting feeling safe rose from 67% to over 87% this school year, and highlighted local STEM and CTE programming that partners with NMSU. Parent Megan Cornet praised a unified sports program at Desert Ridge Middle School that she said improved a child’s confidence and inclusion.

Other attendees pressed harder. One audience member cited statewide NESA test trends and said gaps for the students identified in the Martinez/Yazzie court actions have not narrowed; the attendee asked what specific programmatic, policy or budgetary changes district leaders will implement in the coming year. A substitute teacher and other commenters criticized the district’s reliance on short‑term substitute hires and questioned vendor relationships; a principal warned that a recent policy change requiring middle‑school Algebra I credits to carry forward as high‑school credit could penalize students who later struggle.

District response: board members and presenters outlined several structural changes they say have been implemented since 2022, including guardrails requiring grade‑level, high‑quality instructional materials; a tiered school performance framework (distinction/acceleration/emerging/priority) that directs extra resources to higher‑need schools; alignment of the superintendent’s performance and parts of the budget to the board’s goals; and initiatives described as ASU NextGen alignment and a focus on career‑connected learning. “When the superintendent proposes the budget to us, she has to prove to us how the budget is aligned to the goals,” a board member said.

Data and measurement questions: multiple speakers raised concerns about the district’s measurement tools. An audience member asked whether the district uses an evidence‑based tool; the reply given at the event was, “It’s Panorama,” and presenters said students complete computer‑based surveys for questions that map to perseverance and related social‑emotional indicators. Attendees urged the board to examine question‑level responses and Panorama’s open‑ended comments rather than relying solely on headline scores; a board member said those comments are available and pledged follow‑up to improve access and analysis.

Teacher supports and trauma‑informed practice: several speakers — including former teachers on the board and principals in the audience — urged more investment in trauma‑informed training, mentoring for new teachers, school counselors and consistent planning time so teachers can collaborate. Board members described differentiated resource allocations tied to the performance framework (priority schools receive more funding, oversight and professional development) and encouraged continued partnerships with higher‑education teacher preparation programs.

Next steps: board members announced a series of upcoming engagements—an April 27 listening session focused on safety, a May 23 partnership event focused on Goal 3, the state‑of‑the‑district address in August, and fall budget town halls in October—and invited community groups to request board visits. The meeting ended with an invitation to submit written input via the district’s “Let’s Talk” portal and with board members urging continued community participation.

The board and presenters said they will continue monthly goal monitoring and that the standing community engagement committee will collect grassroots feedback to inform whether the five‑year goals or guardrails should be revised before the next goal‑setting cycle.