Albuquerque Public Schools embarks on new teaching strategy with Sandia’s help

“During my first year as superintendent, I visited 100 schools in the city. What I found was an inconsistency in what’s being offered and a very evident disconnect among students,” APS Superintendent Gabriella Blakey told an audience of Sandians gathered during the Community Engagement Speaker Series.

Her message: “We need to do a better job preparing our students for the real world, but we can’t do it alone.”

And they won’t. Sandia is among hundreds of businesses that Albuquerque Public Schools and United Way hope to engage in a new learning model called the Academies of Albuquerque.

Already launched at Highland, Manzano and Cibola high schools, the program, based on the Ford Next Generation Learning framework, is designed to put students on a more direct learning path based on potential careers.

Albuquerque Public School administrators refer to it as “teaching through the lens.”

Similar to a college structure, students are divided into different academies focused on specialties such as business, engineering, culinary arts and education. They are taught specific skills in a more hands-on environment, with opportunities to earn internships, dual credits and certifications, giving them a head start on their career path after graduation.

Seeing the program in action

Bianca Hill, senior manager of external engagements, saw the model at work firsthand earlier this year in Nashville, Tennessee. She was invited by United Way of North Central New Mexico, which is leading the local partnership.

“We had the chance to visit four different high schools, interact with the students, watch classroom teaching and see in real time how they were teaching core subjects in ways that made sense for their particular pathway,” Bianca said. “What we saw were students who were ambassadors for their schools, who had clear relationships with their teachers and were proud of that.”

It didn’t take much convincing for Bianca to see how Sandia could become a partner.

Sandia support

Sandia and United Way have a long-standing relationship, but this initiative allows Sandia to be more hands-on.

Bianca said Sandia will continue to provide volunteer opportunities in the classroom, hold donation drives and financial support campaigns, but now the Labs will also play a role in curriculum and teaching paths at Albuquerque Public Schools.

“Where we really have an opportunity to shine is showing educators how their curriculum translates to the real world,” Bianca said. “If they are using outdated engineering terms or applications, that is an opportunity for us to help bring them up to speed, so they understand what they need to teach in the classroom to prepare those students for tomorrow’s necessary skills.”

“United Way mobilizes communities to action so that all can thrive,” said Rodney Prunty, United Way of North Central New Mexico president and CEO. “If you want qualified people to fill open positions, you have to get in there and get involved. You can’t just sit back and hope teachers do it.”

Prunty and Blakely emphasized that the program’s success depends on a “community connected approach.” United Way and Albuquerque Public Schools are working with businesses and organizations across the community to cultivate buy-in to the concept, with a meeting planned for late October to develop next steps.

The partnership is not only good for students, but good for Sandia.

“We have a lot of career programs right now but nothing sustainable,” Blakey said. “We want to keep good students here in New Mexico and not have to hire employees from outside the state. But students don’t always know how to connect with industry. We want a better partnership to give students more exposure to possible paths.”

How Sandians can help

Any Sandian can get involved. One of the best ways is by participating in the Sandia Gives campaign in November.

“Sandia plays one of the largest roles in our community when it comes to giving,” Associate Labs Director Josh Parsons said. “We gave more than $4 million last year alone through United Way.”

Sandians can choose specifically where they want to direct their donation dollars. Josh hopes many will consider giving during this year’s campaign and choose an initiative called Rising Together, which focuses on improving education outcomes in the community.

“The power of this academies model is that it’s a system solution,” Josh said. “This is a direct way that we, as a highly educated population, can impact the school system for our families and build the next generation of the workforce. The more we invest in K-12, the better we are at enabling the mission in the community we serve.”

That support includes not only financial donations but also the volunteer efforts that Sandia organizes. Bianca said the partnership will shift the Community Involvement team’s educational focus a bit to allow for more impactful efforts and expanded volunteer opportunities across Albuquerque.

“This pathway gives Sandia a way to do that,” Bianca said. “We are neighbors and members of this community and students’ educational success matters to us. We want opportunities for all students so they can step into a career here if they choose.”