Albuquerque Public Schools, New Mexico's largest school district, will welcome Dr. Gabriella Duran Blakey as its new superintendent starting July 1, 2024, with significantly different contract terms from her predecessor, Scott Elder.
Duran Blakey's contract, which runs until June 30, 2026, sets out rules distinguishing her tenure in terms of scope and compensation. In 2023, the APS Board of Education will undergo changes. With enrollment declining and students not reaching grade level in both reading and math, the board adopted goals and guardrails to get the district and students back on track. This change made her scope of work more structured than Elder's, reflecting the work of the APS Board of Education's new strategic plan, “Emerging Better.”
Elder came forward to review the contract on June 7 last year. The school board, which changed as a result of the recent school board election, did not renew Elder's contract. Before the end of June, APS began its search for a new leader, and about six months later, APS hired Duran Blakey as superintendent.
Period and Compensation
Duran Blakey's contract specifies a term from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2026, with an annual salary of $295,000.
In contrast, Elder's term begins July 1, 2021 and ends June 30, 2024, with a base salary of $225,000.
Professional Development and Benefits
Duran Blakey will receive an annual salary of $295,000 plus contributions equal to 12% of his base salary ($35,400) to the supplemental retirement plan at the end of each contract year. Elder's initial base salary was set at $225,000 per year, with certain increments each contract year for additional retirement planning ($50,000 in 2021-2022, $55,000 in 2022-2023, and $60,000 in 2023-2024).
Duran Blakey's contract provides a vehicle for district functions covering all associated costs and includes provisions for administrative support, an office, laptops and cell phones. Elder's contract provided a local vehicle for commuting to and from work, and his contract also included resources for an administrative assistant, reimbursement for contract reviews, and technical equipment as needed.
Duran Blakey's benefits extend to comprehensive professional development and community engagement opportunities, with the Board covering the cost of membership in various educational and administrative organizations. She is also required to attend at least one professional conference each year, with additional opportunities available upon board approval. Elders' contracts also include professional development provisions, but are less specific about fees and member coverage.
Performance Review and Termination Provisions
performance review
Embrace modern evaluation processes, including performance-based financial incentives and comprehensive evaluations, to collect feedback from diverse groups. This approach is designed to promote holistic professional growth and help districts achieve specific goals, especially in the areas of literacy and mathematics. Duran Blakey's contract set a precedent for implementing detailed evaluation criteria and regularly monitoring progress. This ensures ongoing evaluation and alignment of the District's strategic goals under the “Emerging Better” plan.
Elder's contract relied on a more traditional annual review system, with evaluations based on agreed-upon goals and performance measures. Although this approach was effective for standard tasks, it provided less frequent and extensive feedback than the innovative method introduced at Duran Blakey.
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Duran Blakey's contract provides a transparent framework for liability by providing detailed scenarios and actions that could lead to termination. This includes unsatisfactory performance relative to strategic goals, ensuring there is a direct link between job security and student outcomes. Her contract also includes a termination provision in the event of felony charges or substance abuse issues, emphasizing her role as a community figure and educational leader.
The elder's agreement outlines broader, more general grounds for termination, such as incompetence or moral turpitude, without being connected to the district's strategic goals or containing a comprehensive plan to address individual conduct issues. Elder's contract also provided less detailed protocols for public misconduct, focusing more on potential legal charges than broader community and educational leadership responsibilities.
health and vacation
In terms of health and vacation, Dr. Blakey's contract reflects the benefits of licensing administrators for the district and emphasizes continuity with APS policies. Mr. Elder's contract sets out his rights to annual leave and sick leave, including accrual and compensation for unused vacation and sick leave.
According to her contract, Duran Blakey is entitled to all vacation benefits received by an APS licensed administrator, including annual vacation and sick leave, without specifying the number of days. Sick leave is cumulative and limited to the same amount provided to other locally licensed managers, with no compensation for unused sick leave upon resignation or termination. For seniors, sick leave entitlement accrues to 12.6 days per year (up to 256 days). The last sentence of Section 6 of the elder contract states that the elder may be paid for unused sick leave.
Regarding annual leave, Duran Blakey is “entitled to all leave received by an APS licensed manager,” according to his contract. Her notable requirements are that before she takes her annual leave she must consult with the Chairman of the Board and she must ensure that her acting Superintendent is present for absences of three days or more. Elders are entitled to 22 days of annual leave per year and can accrue up to 66 days of unused leave. At the end of his contract, he will be entitled to be paid for accrued but unused annual leave, up to 66 days. His contract did not require him to consult with the board president to appoint an acting superintendent during annual leave or extended absences. Blakey's contract is more structured than Elder's under the district's Emerging Better plan to improve student outcomes. As part of its work to improve student outcomes and as part of Duran Blakey's performance review, the APS Board of Education will review students' progress. In February the committee reviewed student outcomes in reading/writing, and now in March the committee will review student results in mathematics.