“We shape the future of our community, not by grand gestures or big speeches, but by our day-to-day interactions with students.” Albuquerque Public Schools Superintendent Gabriella Durán Blakey shared this reminder with nearly 7,000 educators during Tuesday’s 2026 APS Rising: Educator Summit.
The summit marked the second consecutive year the district brought teachers, educational assistants, counselors, and support staff together. They aligned on shared goals and celebrated the impact of public education. APS held the event in partnership with the Albuquerque Teachers Federation and the Albuquerque Federation of Classified Professionals.
During the gathering, Durán Blakey walked onto the stage at the Albuquerque Convention Center carrying a torch. It symbolized both a literal flame and the district’s commitment to lighting the way for the next generation.
Durán Blakey handed the torch to student Riley Salazar, whose presence embodied the APS mission. As Salazar raised it and left the stage, he left a clear message that Albuquerque’s future is being built in classrooms today.
At the event, the superintendent stressed that APS remains committed to the five-year goals the Board of Education set in 2023. The goals aim to ensure students can read, analyze information, understand mathematical reasoning, and develop essential life skills and mindsets. They also help students cultivate perseverance, self-efficacy, self-regulation, and social awareness, while laying the foundation for their future careers.
Preparing Students for the Future
AI is rapidly reshaping the job market. Durán Blakey said the district must move beyond simply doing things better to “doing better things.”
“That’s why it’s so important for us to focus on helping our students develop the skills they’ll need to rise to the top, no matter what happens in the job market,” she said.
“Critical thinkers and problem solvers will always be in demand. The same goes for good communicators and individuals who are innovative and collaborative,” Durán Blakey added.
She said educators must teach these skills from students’ first day of preschool through their final day of senior year.
Durán Blakey centered her address on a commitment to a “dramatic redesign” of how students experience school.
She outlined a vision for redesigning the student experience. The plan would expand Genius Hour to help elementary students explore their passions. It would also bring team-teaching to middle schools through the Next Education Workforce Initiative. Additionally, it would launch six new Freshman Academies to connect high school students with career pathways in engineering, health care, and other fields.
“We are laying the foundation for our future police and fire chiefs, doctors and dentists, engineers and architects, mechanics and plumbers, lawmakers and CEOs.” Durán Blakey said.
Students Must Feel They Belong
Beyond academic redesign, she stressed that every student needs a trusted adult at school for guidance and support.
Durán Blakey shared the story of Za’Kirah Boxton, a Hoover Middle School student who found safety and value through her school’s supportive community. She said this sense of belonging is critical to student success.
The superintendent highlighted programs like “Where Everybody Belongs” for middle school students. She also praised staff at Dolores Gonzales Elementary and Atrisco Heritage Academy for creating welcoming environments through music and personal greetings.
As the summit drew to a close, one message stood out. APS is more than a district, it is a community rising to meet the future.
“The torch is in your hands,” Durán Blakey told the educators in her final remarks. “Light the way.”
