sa国际传媒官网网页入口

sa国际传媒官网网页入口 Public Schools held a marathon of Meet the Superintendent Finalists forums on Tuesday, including a breakfast, public interviews with pre-submitted questions from the community, and a student panel made up of elementary, middle and high school students.

During their panel, the students grilled the finalists, current APS Chief Operations Officer Gabriella Blakey and former Des Moines Public Schools Superintendent Thomas Ahart, on a range of issues 鈥� some of which were more loaded than the rest.

鈥淲hat do you feel is the right amount of homework for an elementary school student?鈥� said Longfellow Elementary School fifth grader Sophia Frost, to the amusement of the crowd.

Throughout her comments to the community, Blakey鈥檚 intimate knowledge of APS and education in New Mexico shone through, yielding detailed responses on how she would address specific issues throughout sa国际传媒官网网页入口.

鈥淚鈥檓 very committed to the students here and I鈥檓 very committed to our community,鈥� she said. 鈥�... It鈥檚 not easy to put yourself out here and to be vulnerable 鈥� but my care for the kids of sa国际传媒官网网页入口 outweighs my personal ego.鈥�

But Ahart鈥檚 decade on the job in Des Moines was also evident. In his answers, he drew on his experience with issues in Iowa that were comparable to APS鈥� and frequently referenced the specific ways he addressed them back home.

鈥淚鈥檓 a damn good educator,鈥� Ahart said. 鈥淚 think the innovation that I鈥檝e engaged in in almost every role that I鈥檝e had as a public educator helps to demonstrate that I do look at public education from a little bit of a different angle than a lot of traditional school administrators.鈥�

Coming out of their panel, at least half of the students picked Blakey as the person they鈥檇 want to see as their superintendent.

鈥淪he鈥檚 from here. She knows our issues, she knows our struggles, she knows what we鈥檝e been through,鈥� West Mesa High School senior Alexa Ordonez said. 鈥淎nd with her answers, it seems like she knows what she鈥檚 doing.鈥�

Still, Ordonez noted that both finalists gave good answers.

Bel-Air Elementary School kindergarten teacher Celeste Hern谩ndez was of a different mind, saying that while the district would be 鈥淥K with either one,鈥� Ahart gave succinct, to-the-point answers and may represent just what APS needs.

鈥淗e brings a fresh perspective, and he鈥檚 really knowledgeable and really accomplished,鈥� she said.

During individual interviews using questions distilled from some 1,200 public responses, the finalists were asked about a range of issues, including how they would make schools safer, especially from gun violence; ensure grade-level instruction; and close opportunity gaps among historically disadvantaged students.

In order, Ahart responded that schools might pursue anonymous reporting methods; that while he would first need to learn what鈥檚 in place in APS, teachers across the district should be communicating to provide consistent instruction; and that the district must go to the families of disadvantaged students to better understand what they need.

Respectively, Blakey said she would focus on addressing the root problems behind students bringing guns to school, including their mental health needs; having principals examine the learning students are doing in classrooms to diagnose if they are at grade level; and that the are a good start to bridging opportunity gaps.

School board President Danielle Gonzales said Tuesday鈥檚 public forums would help inform the panel鈥檚 decision, planned for Wednesday.

鈥淚 think the decision of who is our next superintendent for APS is the most consequential decision that we鈥檙e gonna make as a board,鈥� she said. 鈥淭his is going to be the person who has to implement our strategic plan.

Photos: APS superintendent candidates talk with students during panel