ALBUQUERQUE

PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Acceluate/ Pro.:ye.ss for Studeiti:s

Albuquerque Public Schools

2017 Questionnaire for Board of Education Applicants
The Board of Education is an elected body created according to the laws of the state of
New Mexico to serve as the governing board of the school district for the purpose of organizing,
maintaining, and locating schools and for providing educational opportunities and services for all
citizens residing within the school district.

Applicants are required to return the questionnaire to the Board of Education Services Office, by
5:00p.m., on Thursday, November 2, 2017.
Mailed questionnaires must be received by Thursday, November 2, 2017.
Send to Albuquerque Public Schools, Alice and Bruce King Educational Complex, Board
of Education Services Office, 2017 Board of Education Applications, P.O. Box 25704,
Albuquerque, N.M. 87125-0704.
Questionnaires may be faxed to 880-2575 by the deadline above. Please call the Board of
Education Services Office at 880-3729 to confirm fax arrivals or for other information.
Questionnaires may be emailed to the Board of Education Services Office at
boarded(li),aps.edu.
Personal Information
[Please Print, Type or Use Digital Form]

Name: ____~Y~o=l=an=d=a~M==o=n=to~y~a~-~C=o~rd=o~v~a~=M=S~VV~---------------------------------
First Middle Last

Residence Address:

Length of Residency in School District: 45 years

(Check Preferred)
0 Home Telephone: _ _ _ _ _ _ O Office: X Cell:

Fax Number: _________________Primary Email address:

Occupation: State Administrator- VVorkforce Innovation and Opportunity Act

Employer: New Mexico Department ofVVorkforce Solutions

Business Address:

Business Telephone:
Do you currently hold other public office?
Yes_ _ No]L_
If yes, list office: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Do you have any affiliations with the Albuquerque Public Schools? Yes_ _ NolL_

If yes, what are your affiliations? - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Are you available to attend board meetings the first and third Wednesday nights of the month at
5:00p.m. and special board meetings as needed? Yes _x_ No

Additionally, five board committees mostly meet once a month at 7:30 a.m., 4:00p.m., 4:30p.m.
or 5:00p.m. Are you available to attend committee meetings?
Yes]L_ No_ _

If no, please explain w h y : - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Periodically, the board must meet during daytime hours for board meetings, budget hearings, and
luncheons. Are you available during daytime hours for these activities?
Yes]L_ No

If no, please explain why: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

In addition to regularly scheduled meetings, the board requires approximately 20-25 hours a
week in reading, researching, miscellaneous meetings, school visits, telephone calls, and e-mail
correspondence; many board members spend much more time than that. Can your schedule
accommodate the extra time involved in serving as a member of the Board of Education?
Yes_x_ No
 Experience
Answers should be brief and concise.

1. Why do you want to be a board member for Albuquerque Public Schools?

I am a lifelong resident ofDistrict 1, attended local schools, Kit Carson Elementary, Ernie Pyle
Middle School and graduated from Rio Grande High School in 1976. I lived in Texas for 15
years and upon my return in 2004, my late husband and I built a home in the South Valley. My
professional career as a Social Worker includes child welfare, developmental disabilities;
children's health and mental health; with specific expertise in community building, systems
development and positive youth development and engagement. I want to be a member of the
APS Board because I believe my personal and professional experiences have prepared me with
the knowledge and skills necessary to represent the unique needs of parents, students, staff and
local agencies/organizations of District 1. Since my return to Albuquerque in 2004, I've also
been involved in several projects and programs specifically designed to improve and/or
enhance for children and youth.

2. What is your interest in education?

Education is a vital component for youth, their families and the community. Education is the
door to lifelong skills associated with academic milestones necessary to reach post-secondary
and career goals. Education is also a major contributor to important skill development related
to positive relationships, community and civic engagement, personal decision making, and
economic success for individuals, their families and the community. I believe education is the
"door" to all these important skills and our schools provide many of the "keys" necessary to
meet these goals. Public education provided the most important opportunities for me and my
family and continues to be a critical component of childhood development. As an educator at
the post-secondary level, my goal is to share my expertise with young adults pursuing a career
in social work; knowing that the classroom not only provides students with important skills and
knowledge, but also enhances the quality of life for me as well. Public school is just a
beginning and through the classroom the power and excitement of continuous learning can be
ignited.

3. In what ways will you support the mission and vision of the district?
As a Board member I would see my role as an ambassador for the District. My goal would be
to visit with parents, students, teachers and staff; key community leaders and agency directors
to fully understand their vision. My goal would be to find opportunities to align vision/mission
with the Board and share what I've learned. Much of the work is based on the reality that as
just one person, I alone cannot carry the vision/mission for the district; however I can help
influence ideas and change. I would pursue opportunities to meet with people from all ages,
represent the district and ensure I'm inclusive of many voices, many opinions and many
diverse needs, including those from APS leadership and the Board.

4. How will you work with the superintendent?

I envision the role of Board member as a professional collaborator and advisor. I am currently
the Vice-Chair for a local non-profit and the role/work is very similar, in this capacity I review
operations and policy and oversee the budget in partnership with the board members and
executive director. We work closely with the Executive Director to provide insight and
meaningful advice. As a Board Member for APS, I envision a relationship with the
Superintendent based on mutual respect and professionalism. I envision opportunities to share
common interests and ideas, as well as opportunities to engage in discussions to broaden
perspective and understanding. I would also respect decisions and support decisions the
Superintendent implements, knowing her expertise and day-to-day work are surely much more
informed. I will also unite with her to assist and facilitate opportunities to meet with
 community members, agencies/organizations, as well as families and students to promote the
needs of the district.

5. What is your past and current involvement with Albuquerque Public Schools?
In my previous position as the Director of School Health with the Department of Health, I
worked closely with APS to promote the development and implementation of school based
health centers, school nursing, youth suicide prevention and positive youth development and
engagement. These activities included meetings with several school leaders, as well as the
Board, to review policy, plan and strategize implementation and share progress and success.
The partnership with APS was instrumental in increasing access to school-based health centers
and improving sustainability with local health providers and agencies. Other programs such as
school nursing and youth suicide prevention included strong alliances with the APS school
health leadership that resulted in enhanced nursing practices, improvements to youth suicide
response and access to resources, tools and materials to support school mental health practices.
Additionally, I worked in partnership with the ABC Community Schools Initiative to support
and promote APS efforts to expand activities. I was a regular member of the ABC Community
Schools taskforce and assisted with the review of proposals from various schools and assisted
with the development of training for community school coordinators.

In my current role as the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Administrator for the
New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions, we are exploring opportunities with all
public schools to broaden career and college readiness. Specifically, our agency is supporting
an internship project with Rio Grande High School, WorkKeys training at Manzano HS and
coordination with Mission Graduate and Graduate ABQ to expand access to our agency career
planning tools and resources. I've been in this role for only a year and future goals include
additional training and awareness for educators on our career exploration tools and resources;
as well as youth engagement to expand general awareness of work readiness and college/career
preparation. I'm looking forward to expanding the partnership between our agency and APS.

6. What should be the relationship between the superintendent and Board of Education?
The relationship must be professional, based on honesty and integrity. The relationship should
be based on mutual respect and a desire for engagement and collaboration. The relationship
should be based on openness and trust. Our relationship should be based on mutual interests
based on the mission/vision/goals. I understand that as a Board we are also responsible for
evaluating the performance of the superintendent, and as such, it will be important to ensure we
are providing excellent guidance, as well as tools and resources necessary to ensure her
success. The success of our superintendent is a reflection of our leadership and it is critical the
superintendent feels confident in the Board's capacity and commitment to assisting her to meet
performance and the overall mission/vision for APS.

7. What qualities and skills would you bring to the Board of Education?
As a long-term public employee, my dedication to public sector work is an important quality. I
have direct work experience in adolescent development, education, mental health, career and
college readiness and developmental disabilities. I have over 30 years of experience in
community development and systems development, including program development,
implementation and evaluation. I have convened and led a variety of community projects and
believe my best skills are the ability to convene and facilitate diverse communities and lead a
project from beginning to end. I also understand the complexities of public policy; legislative
processes and they influence and/or direct agency decisions and activities. I also believe I am
strong communicator and an excellent negotiator. I listen for understanding and truly enjoy
diving into complex problems and issues.
8. What school or community volunteer activities have you participated in related to the
community?
I am currently a volunteer board member for a local non-profit, Pegasus Legal Services
for Children. I've been on this board for three years and have actively participated in
fundraising and general awareness. I volunteer for The Stables Homeowner's Association
as the Secretary/Treasurer. In previous years, my late husband and I also assisted with the
development of open spaces in our neighborhood; including a green space; basketball
court and an area for children to play. I also volunteer for the annual Free to Breathe
event by participating in fund raising and assistance with event day preparation and
activities.

9. How do you plan to work with constituents?

I look forward to visiting schools, meeting with parents, teachers, students and staff to
understand activities underway. I believe meeting constituents in settings where they naturally
convene or participate is critical to understand what they find important and to strengthen work
they are promoting. I attend several meetings weekly and oftentimes there are community
members, parents and youth actively engaged, expressing their ideas and working on behalf of
their district. As a board member I want to connect these efforts back to the work of APS by
sharing with the superintendent and fellow board members. I certainly also understand there
will be limitations to keep in mind - I will not become a "sounding board" for constituent
complaints - I envision a role of observing and listening to constituent efforts and looking for
opportunities to align and bridge their efforts as often as possible ..

10. What do you see as opportunities and challenges to the district?

The challenges in District 1 are certainly not new to APS. As a resident of the area, as well as a
public policy professional, concerns related to poverty, lack of access to healthcare and mental
health, high crime and substance use rates, are issues that have existed for many years. Despite
these challenges, the community remains rich in diversity and a culture of working hard helps
to sustain momentum when developing new and relevant resources. District one is challenged
with a poor or negative perception held by many of our city residents. This perception is
detrimental and has an impact on the psyche and wellbeing of its residents. Many of the
residents feel marginalized and sometimes trapped into believing little to no success can or will
be made in the area. There are many successes in this district and one of the largest challenges
is ensuring students in the district are surrounded by adults and a community that believes in
the ability and capacity to succeed can be found in the area; but also a willingness to address
important social determinants of health necessary to improve the quality of life for the students,
their parents and residents of the community. Leveraging human capital to engage in positive
discourse and planning is challenging, however, one that cannot be overlooked to meeting the
challenges often found in the area that contribute to poor outcomes for students in the area.
11. What do you think is the best way for the district to accomplish the three academic goals?

a. Early learning- Early learning begins with expecting parents, is nurtured as

children develop language and number skills in elementary school, and grows
with students as they mature in supportive classrooms becoming adept at using
these skills in a variety of contexts.

Early learning requires a partnership with the community health agencies and
organizations that provide access to health care and promote healthy lifestyles
to ensure first and foremost children are healthy and ready to learn. Bridging
discussions and participating in campaigns with expecting parents to build
excitement about learning that includes information about the strengths and
positive outcomes of children attending APS schools. Building partnerships
with head start programs to enhance teacher preparation and curriculum and
also assisting with opportunities for head start age youth to visit their home
school to create excitement and ease anxiety. Finally, ensuring children who
have developmental delays are connected to early learning experiences and
resources necessary to address disabilities and prepare families to understand
schools policies and resources before they attend school is vitally important.

b. College and Career Readiness - Students acquire skills that support formal and
informal life-long learning to adapt and remain productive through changing
economic and job market landscapes. All students will be prepared for post-
secondary opportunities (college and/or career) without the need for remediation.

College and Career Readiness will require partnership development with local
workforce development agencies/organizations, businesses and post-secondary
institutions. The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) requires
local workforce development boards to strengthen partnerships with key
agencies, including school districts to promote college and career readiness.
Bridging APS to these efforts will certainly provide access to important
resources and tools for students and their families. Additionally, APS staff
access to resources such as labor market information to help students learn and
know about available jobs and market trends, career exploration tools to broaden
awareness; facilitation of workforce literacy that promotes skills and abilities
necessary for successful workplace performance; as well as increased
opportunities for students to engage in meaningful internships and work
experiences that enhance preparation for post-secondary decisions or
employment readiness after high school. Finally, ensuring that students with
disabilities are engaged with vocational rehabilitation no later than gth grade to
ensure there is a bridge to post-secondary employment or education

c. Developing the Whole Child - APS will ensure each child is safe, engaged,
challenged and supported through programs and practices focused on removing
social, emotional and physical barriers to learning and increased health literacy.
Safe and welcoming environment
Whole Child includes ... physical, mental, emotional, social, intellectual
Remove barriers to learning
Discover and develop individual gifts and talents
Use skills to better the community
 As the former Director of School Health for the

Department of Health I always felt the commitment from APS to develop the
whole child was found in resources dedicated to school nursing, school based
health centers and school mental health. APS has a long tradition of ensuring youth
who were struggling with access to health and mental health were identified early
and connected to services early. APS' willingness to include access to school based
health centers to faculty and community is also commendable. Certainly, the needs
far outweigh what is available and the issue ofunmet needs remain a reality.
Additional activities such as the implementation of community schools and youth
engagement are found throughout the district. The continued promotion of these
best practices, as well as the continuation of staff development in suicide
awareness, positive youth development and civic engagement, parent engagement,
as well as ongoing support youth participation in school activities such as team
sports, clubs, music and art, will all contribute to enhanced social emotional
wellbeing.

12. If appointed, how will you work collaboratively with your fellow board members to put
the needs of students first, regardless of your personal or political preferences?.
If appointed, the Board will have my utmost commitment to personal integrity, honesty and
collaboration. My working career has been filled with opportunities for meaningful
participation and engagement in community efforts designed to improve outcomes for
youth. The most valuable aspect of this work has included work with diverse individuals,
including people with disabilities, youth transitioning from the foster care system, parents
involved with the child welfare system, health providers, legislators, expecting and
parenting teens, agency leaders and organizations, post-secondary institutions and religious
leaders. The most valuable lesson from these encounters was the value of mutual respect. I
learned long ago that the art of true engagement is being present in the moment. I value the
importance of attention paid when in a conversation or a project. I will bring this lesson to
the Board, knowing that if we are all truly in the moment when we are together as Board
Members, we are listening for understanding, working for collaboration and creating space
for meaningful partnership.

The person appointed must be at least 18 years of age, a registered voter in New Mexico, a
resident of the Board of Education District 1, not a convicted felon and not an employee of
Albuquerque Public Schools.

By my signature, I affirm that I meet all requirements to become a member of

Date