There is a pilot program underway at Albuquerque Public School District that will set the course for how APS attempts to help children outside of math and reading. 

“Goal Four, we’re really looking at building a community that has that high self-efficacy,” said Associate Superintendent Kenneth Salazar. “Having empathy with others, being able to self-regulate when there are some difficult situations or being able to focus, and then also being able to, persevere.” 

Four goals are outline by the district. The fourth is defined by trying to develop, “Skills, Habits, & Mindsets for Life Success.” Part of the plan is to offer training for school staff to better handle conflict. One of the skills is Restorative Justice Principles. 

Schools in APS Pilot Program: 

• Cibola High School 
• El Dorado High School 
• Janet Kahn School of Integrated Arts 
• Kirtland Elementary School 
• Jimmy Carter Middle School 
• Taylor Middle School 
• Tres Volcanes K-8 
• Bandelier Elementary School 

“I’m old school and I tend to believe, like some do now, you do the crime you need to do the time,” said Gail Mitchell Henry, the dean at John Adams Middle School. She is a now a Restorative Justice convert. “I have now developed the art of just having those circles with those students where they come to see, ‘Hey, maybe it wasn’t a good choice to do what I did.’” 

4 Investigates showed how multiple school-wide changes improved behavior at John Adams Middle School. 

Restorative Justice practices are in addition to traditional discipline. It involves offenders, victims, and other affected stakeholders sitting together to better understand consequences of actions. 

“There’s this idea of discipline is seen as punishment. But in reality, discipline is how do we teach and teaching a sense of understanding of where the harm occurred,” Salazar said. 

The previous APS Superintendent, Scott Elder, told KOB 4 back in 2023, “I just think we need to stick to a plan and stop flip-flopping. ‘Oh, well, let’s try something new. Let’s try – something.’ No. Stick with it.” 

We asked Salazar why parents should have faith in this new plan? 

“With our approach this year, we really wanted to make sure there was multiple stakeholders in the inception of the vision,” Salazar said. “We really had across the department, including also our teacher union, to be able to really develop what has gotten what has happened in the past, what are we looking for in the future and leveraging these eight schools to also be a part of that?” 

Click here to see how APS is measuring its Goal Four progress.