APS superintendent finalists will be interviewed this week
Come one, come all — virtually, that is. Online community forums and interviews with the Albuquerque Public Schools superintendent finalists will be livestreamed for the public, starting Monday.
During the forums, the four finalists will get a chance to address previously submitted questions from the community. After each forum, the APS Board of Education will publicly interview the candidate.
The link to the livestreams can be found at APS.edu.
Online feedback forms will launch next week for people to share their thoughts with the board, too.
The school board is aiming to announce its superintendent pick on March 17.
The schedule is:
■ Monday: Ignacio Ruiz.
■ Tuesday: Scott Elder.
■ Thursday: Bolgen Vargas.
■ Friday: Ushma Shah. Forums will be from 6 to 7 p.m., and interviews will be 7:15 to 8:30 p.m.
IN REMEMBRANCE: Many in the education community are praising y Karen Trujillo, the late Las Cruces Public Schools superintendent and former education secretary, as a longtime educator who made a difference.
Trujillo was struck by a car and
killed while walking her dogs.
Current New Mexico Public Education Secretary Ryan Stewart called her a “passionate and caring advocate for children,” saying she was a vibrant person.
“We’ve lost a champion for children, and she will be missed by her colleagues and friends in the education community,” Stewart said in a written statement.
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham called her death a loss for public education across the state and said she left behind an “unfinished legacy of credible service.”
And the APS board and interim Superintendent Scott Elder said she will always be remembered as “a role model for all educators, a fierce defender of public education and a trusted ally.”
IN-PERSON GRADUATIONS: APS is planning face-to-face ceremonies for the class of 2021 the week of May 10.
Public health orders and the possible spread of COVID-19 will dictate the specifics. But the district said plans are in place for the 13 comprehensive high schools to have ceremonies at the schools, with magnet school ceremonies at the Berna Facio Professional Development Center.
However, a bigger facility may be used if larger crowds are given the green light.
Dates and times are listed at APS.edu.