APS: Show us you care about kids

Real leadership is urgently needed now

Another year, another letter I’m writing as a parent of several children in Albuquerque Public Schools, a taxpayer, concerned citizen, and someone who highly values public education.

Here we are again with an impending budget crisis. Something that (Superintendent Raquel Reedy) should have been more prepared for since we have known about the state budget crisis for a while and the falling enrollment of APS over the past several years.

Reedy continues to talk about budget transparency, but I’ve actually only read what she wants the public to see, which is not exhibiting full transparency. For true transparency, these documents should be visibly posted on the APS website: full and complete budget meeting notes, uploaded daily, since Reedy has said the committee is meeting daily, and a complete document of the proposed budget in all of its iterations and implications, to include the top executive salaries and line-item expenditures.

Additionally, I think it would be prudent to see how much implementation of each negotiated agreement and contract is costing the district. Along with that, what the unions are willing to give up to fully support children and what the district plans to cut from agreements to provide more monies to our children, such as permanently cutting how high school teachers are teaching fewer classes for increased prep and collaboration time. As a parent and taxpayer, I’d also like to know why the following items are not part of the belt-tightening discussions provided online:

Voluntary reduction in pay of 10 percent for anyone earning over $100,000 and a 20 percent reduction in pay for Superintendent Reedy.

Sale of the fleet of cars owned by APS for administrator travel.

Ban on all in- and outof-state travel.

Consolidation of smaller schools. According to the APS website as of April 22, there are 39 schools with enrollment under 400 and, of that 39, 11 are under 300 students.

Lease of vacant schools to charter schools to generate revenue.

Closing of City Center Copies and APS Graphics unless they generate enough (outside) revenue to fund themselves from outside revenue, not from APS departments/schools.

Disbanding of departments that do not appear to have a return on investment, such as the Office of Innovation, which does not appear to be helping increase student enrollment.

Reduction of all sports programs, including high school.

Reduction of upperand middle-management positions.

When I see these kinds of things being discussed and acted upon, not trotting out the old tried-andtrue larger class sizes, reiteration of how little administration costs are compared to the total budget, and so on, then I’ll know APS leaders are truly putting students first.

Individually, these last items won’t make a dent but, collectively, it might be possible to make a good dent to lessen the impact to our students. It also sends a message that APS truly values educating students.

Superintendent Reedy and APS Board of Education, I invite you to do the right thing this year, to demonstrate true leadership and genuine care for our students and their futures.