Parents Voices Shut Out: Albuquerque School Board Meeting Sparks Concerns

On Wednesday Nov. 20th, Turning Point Faith contributor and pastor John Amanchukwu was invited by local parents to address the Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) Board, about concerns over inappropriate material in school libraries and controversial policies. However, before the meeting even began, activists caught wind of his appearance and mobilized to ensure his voice and the voice of those who had invited him were drowned out.

Many parents who tried to sign up for public comment were blocked from participating when APS’s online registration system, which opens at 8:00a.m. on the day of the meeting, quickly filled up – reportedly within minutes. This flawed process left large numbers of community members unable to participate, effectively silencing their voices. When public comment is limited in this way, the school board cannot claim to be getting a genuine picture of how the community feels about these critical issues.

The tightly controlled public comment process ensured that only 6 of the approx. 41 speakers at the meeting were able to voice support for age-appropriate standards. This raises important questions: How can APS claim to represent the broader community when so many parents were denied their right to speak?

As I observed the Albuquerque Public School Board meeting, one troubling pattern stood out: the teachers present used their time to defend ideological positions rather than address Albuquerque’s abysmal academic performance. APS schools currently rank last in the nation, yet there was no discussion about how to improve educational outcomes. Instead, teachers embraced social justice activism, prioritizing agendas that leave students unable to read or engage critically with the very materials they seek to preserve.

Among the speakers, a significant number identified as APS educators, including Stephanie Walstrom, Austin Campbell, Katrina Garcia Spillman, Kristina Herrera, Mary Rafferty, Alicia Lopez, Ashley Buckstance, Jason Stewart, Eileen Maddock, Courtney Lawton, Simona Muniz, Kathy Gamble, Jennifer English and Aurora Silva. Retired educators and librarians also joined the discussion.

The City Desk ABQ reported that the protesters representing the LGBTQ+ community were organized by the Albuquerque Teachers Federation union. Alicia Lopez, a teachers union representative and a teacher at Albuquerque High School, spoke on behalf of Montezuma Elementary School’s Parent-Teacher Association. Many teachers emphasized their professional backgrounds, mentioning affiliations with high schools like Eldorado and Albuquerque High or their roles as English, special education, or elementary school teachers yet none addressed the broader community’s concerns about educational standards.

Let’s not lose sight of the facts: Albuquerque’s schools are failing. According to the U.S. News & World Report, the highest-ranked high school in the city is Cottonwood Classical preparatory School. The rankings of schools mentioned by these educator’s pale in comparison. Yet, instead of addressing these glaring issues, the focus was on ideological battles.

Interestingly, one speaker—a woman who identified herself as a lesbian—voiced opposition to inappropriate materials in school libraries and classrooms, making it clear that her stance was about protecting children, not opposing the LGBTQ+ community. Her remarks served as a powerful reminder that not everyone within that community agrees with the activist agenda. It also underscores the need for clear, agreed-upon standards between parents and schools to ensure that all students are supported without exposing them to materials that are not age-appropriate.

Parents must be included in their children’s education. Policies that allow schools to hide children’s mental health struggles from their parents, for example, only reinforce fear and confusion, eroding trust and alienating families – the very support systems children need to thrive.

The time has come to shift away from divisive agendas and focus on empowering students through meaningful education reform. Readers are encouraged to watch the public comments from the November 20th APS Board Meeting and consider how a more inclusive public comment process could better reflect the concerns of the broader community.