We take a break from our traditional interviews, and welcome Dominica Chavez, NewMexicoKidsCAN Advocacy Manager as a co-host for this week’s episode! Together, Dominica and Amanda talk about a few important news stories in the New Mexico education world including the 180-day instructional rule lawsuit, the Governor’s Summer Reading Program, the starts and stalls for New Mexico’s high impact tutoring efforts, and finally, an update to the NMVistas website. 

We also continue our new “Questions from the Field” segment. In this episode, we answer a listener's question about whether or not school board members are trained to review student data. 

Have a question for us? Submit it here.

Other links: 

John Binnert, Executive Director of Cottonwood Classical Charter School, joins us for a conversation about what the state can learn from Cottonwood Classical and how students at Cottonwood are outperforming students from across the world! Tune in and learn about what an International Baccalaureate diploma is and what it means for students at Cottonwood Classical. 

We also continue our new “Questions from the Field” segment. In this episode, we answer a listener's question about LETRS training and how teachers are adapting to the training. 

Have a question for us? Submit it here.

Other links: 

Kimberly Finke, APS principal, joins Amanda for a conversation about her experience “transforming” Whittier Elementary School after it was identified as one of the four worst schools in New Mexico. Kim discusses what she’s learned from her experiences in schools within and outside of APS and the systems utilized in strong schools. She also shares her thoughts on whether or not there is hope for New Mexico schools. 

In this episode, we debut our new “Questions from the Field” segment! Have a question for us? Submit it here.

Angela Lopez, Field Director for Public Charter Schools of New Mexico joins Amanda for a conversation about school enrollment season. It’s never too early to consider all the options for your child’s education next school year. Amanda and Angela discuss enrollment timelines for charter schools, magnet schools and even some private schools. Tune in to learn more about how to find the school that is best for your child!

Check out the Public Charter Schools of New Mexico School Finder: https://publiccharterschoolsofnewmexico.org/find-a-school/

Want help learning about your charter school options? Contact Angela by emailing: [email protected]. 

Newly named Superintendent of Albuquerque Public Schools, Dr. Gabriella Durán Blakey joins us for a conversation just days after she was announced as superintendent of New Mexico’s largest school district. Dr. Blakey shares more about her history in teaching in Washington and New Mexico, opening a charter school and her goals for the district in her new role. 

Follow along with APS at aps.edu.

New Mexico Secretary of Education, Dr. Arsenio Romero returns to the studio for a timely conversation about the Public Education Department’s priorities for the legislative session. Amanda and Secretary discuss the need for continued implementation of structured literacy across the Land of Enchantment and the Governor’s goals for literacy in New Mexico. 

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Want to learn more about the APS superintendent hiring process, submit a question for the finalists, or get the details for the upcoming community events on January 30? Check out the APS website for all the information, or submit your questions here.

Kristin Algier, partner at national education nonprofit, TNTP joins Amanda to talk about the Opportunity Myth. What’s the opportunity myth you ask? Listen in to find out and hear Kristin and Amanda discuss how to improve classroom instruction across New Mexico schools. We talk about the bright spots and the challenges in ensuring every New Mexico student has access to grade appropriate assignments, strong instruction, deep engagement and teachers with high expectations. 

Read the Opportunity Myth report here: https://opportunitymyth.tntp.org/

Matthew Pahl, Executive Director of Public Charter Schools of New Mexico, joins us for a conversation about the state’s charter schools. Matt and Amanda discuss some recent polling data demonstrating what New Mexicans think about charter schools and Matt does some myth busting about charter schools. We also dive into the upcoming charter enrollment season! Tune in to learn more about charter schools and get some tips on how to navigate charter school lotteries! 

Check out the Public Charter Schools of New Mexico School Finder here: https://publiccharterschoolsofnewmexico.org/find-a-school/

Follow PCSNM on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/PCSNewMexico

In this episode we are joined by APS Board of Education member, Courtney Jackson. Courtney was elected to the APS Board of Education in 2021. In this episode. Courtney discusses the challenges of serving on the school board, the district's new strategic plan, and the search for the next superintendent. She reflects on the new momentum in the state’s largest district and reflects on why it’s critical that the community hold the district accountable to continuing the progress.

Read more about the APS Strategic Plan here: https://www.aps.edu/about-us/emerging-stronger

Watch the video about the strategic plan here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VN8OFylzMnE&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.aps.edu%2F&embeds_referring_origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.aps.edu&source_ve_path=MjM4NTE&feature=emb_title&themeRefresh=1

Learn about the district's search for a new superintendent here: https://www.aps.edu/about-us/board/superintendent-search

Dr. Jessie Barrie, Head of School at Albuquerque’s Bosque School, joins us to chat about what the school’s tagline “challenging education” means and expanding access to quality education. We also discuss the successes of Bosque School, the nonprofits that were incubated at Bosque and Dr, Barrie’s hopes for New Mexico’s students. 

Learn more about Bosque school here: https://www.bosqueschool.org/ 

Follow Dr. Jessie Barrie on Instagram: @jess_bosqueheadofschool