Albuquerque Public Schools: Timing is everything

Albuquerque Public Schools have been in the news a lot this week. First, they made the decision to make employee payroll information publicly available on their website. Click here to find it. Notably, we at the Rio Grande Foundation had been in the process of attempting to obtain salary data from it and other school districts around the state (as this letter illustrates). I’d also complained about their lack of compliance with the request mere days before APS went ahead and posted the salary data.

Which leads me to the other major issue out there regarding APS this week and that is the decision to change district rules to allow administration to pay administrators while they are serving in the Legislature. Teachers are already allowed to continue receiving pay while they serve.

So, I think it was interesting timing that APS released the salary data in the first place. I’m pleased by the District’s move and think RGF had a great deal to do with it (they’ll never admit it). Also, I think the positive, heavily-publicized decision was timed to cover the district for ignoring its own clearly-stated rules on paying administrators to serve in the Legislature. Of course, I don’t blame them. Who wouldn’t want to have what amount to paid lobbyists working for you in Santa Fe (in addition to those you already pay)? It is just one more example of the vast difference (and advantages) available if you work for the government in this state rather than the private sector.