Paula Maes
Paula Maes was a candidate for District 6 representative on the Albuquerque Public Schools school board in New Mexico. Maes was defeated in the by-district general election on February 7, 2017.
Maes previously ran for a seat on the board. She was defeated in the general election on February 5, 2013.
Elections
2017
Four of the seven seats on the Albuquerque Public Schools Board of Education were up for by-district general election on February 7, 2017. In his bid for re-election to District 3, incumbent Lorenzo Garcia defeated challengers Ali Ennenga, Amy Legant, and Charles White. District 5 incumbent Steven Michael Quezada and District 6 incumbent Don Duran did not file to run for re-election, leaving both seats open for newcomers. Four candidates—Annie Bell-Rahman, Rachel Gonzales, Kayla Marshall, and Candelaria Patterson—ran for the District 5 seat, and Patterson won the race. Six candidates—Abbas Ali Akhil, Elizabeth Armijo, C. Douglas Brown, Melissa Finch, Paula Maes, and Paul Sievert—ran for the District 6 seat, and Armijo won. The race for the District 7 seat featured incumbent David Peercy and challengers Ian Burch, William Steinberg, and Brian Tierney. Peercy won re-election to the board.[1] A total of six candidates withdrew from the race before their names were put on the ballot: R. Jason Vaillancourt in District 3, Than-Lan Sena, Alex Villanueva, and Anne Young in District 5, Stephen Verchinski in District 6, and Sina-Aurelia Pleasant-Soul in District 7.[2][3]
Results
| Albuquerque Public Schools, District 6 General Election, 4-year term, 2017 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Elizabeth Armijo |
53.27% | 2,622 |
| C. Douglas Brown | 18.39% | 905 |
| Abbas Ali Akhil | 13.04% | 642 |
| Paul Sievert | 7.58% | 373 |
| Paula Maes | 5.28% | 260 |
| Melissa Finch | 2.44% | 120 |
| Total Votes | 4,922 | |
| Source: Bernalillo County Clerk, "APS/CNM School Board Election February 7, 2017," accessed February 22, 2017 and Bernalillo County Clerk, "APS/CNM School Board Election was certified Friday, Feb. 10th, 2017," February 13, 2017 | ||
Funding
Maes reported no contributions or expenditures to the New Mexico Secretary of State in the election.[4]
2013
| Albuquerque Public Schools, District 6 General Election, 4-year term, 2013 |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan | Donald R. Duran |
33.3% | 1,229 | |
| Nonpartisan | David L. Robbins Incumbent | 33% | 1,217 | |
| Nonpartisan | Paula Maes | 24.4% | 900 | |
| Nonpartisan | Angela L. Gonzales Carver | 9.2% | 341 | |
| Total Votes | 3,687 | |||
| Source: Bernalillo County Bureau of Elections, "APS/CNM ELECTION February 05, 2013: Official Results," accessed December 16, 2014 | ||||
Campaign themes
2017
Maes participated in a questionnaire provided by the Albuquerque school district. The district's questions are shown in bolded text, and Maes' answers follow below.
1. Why do you want to be a board member for Albuquerque Public Schools?
2. What is your interest in education?
| “ | (Both questions are answered)
I am running to improve the public perception of all of APS, to improve student outcome, and lastly to get true community engagement. I want to serve on the APS board to be part of ensuring that the 84,000 students in the APS district get quality education and have the necessary tools to succeed in life. The board has two duties: 1) Hire a qualified superintendent. The hiring of a superintendent is one of the most important jobs the board has to complete. The work of the superintendent is to make sure students, teachers, administrators and parents are engaged in the education of the district’s children. The hiring of a superintendent by the board shows teachers, students and parents who the board feels is the most qualified to lead the district in educating children. 2) The board’s second duty is the approval of a budget. This duty is hard in 2017, with the state funding being so limited; the board will need to be even more diligent to make sure class education is not compromised and student learning continues. No board member works alone on the above duties and issues, the work must be worked in cooperation with teachers, administration, parents and students. The board can’t operate in a vacuum. With the NM budget crisis our APS school board will have tough choices to make over and I will wake up every day fighting for more funding for APS from the State, and make sure that money goes to our teachers and to benefit our students.[5] |
” |
| —Paula Maes (2017)[6] | ||
3. In what ways will you support the mission and vision of the district?
| “ | I will support the mission and vision of the district by working for the children of the district.
The mission and vision is to educate children and that is what I would to do as a member of the board.[5] |
” |
| —Paula Maes (2017)[6] | ||
4. How will you work with the superintendent?
| “ | The board hires a superintendent and the board should let the superintendent lead. The board should not micro manage.[5] | ” |
| —Paula Maes (2017)[6] | ||
5. What is your past and current involvement with Albuquerque Public Schools?
| “ | I have been involved with APS for 30 since my oldest son, Michael, entered kindergarten at
Montezuma Elementary. I was on PTAs at Montezuma, Comanche, Madison and Sandia. Then in 2001, I got elected to the APS board and served for 12 years. And my youngest son, Christopher now teaches special education and began his APS career as an EA. I have also served on the foundation board and other committees.[5] |
” |
| —Paula Maes (2017)[6] | ||
6. What should be the relationship between the superintendent and Board of Education?
| “ | The board hires a superintendent and the board should let the superintendent lead. The board should not micro manage.[5] | ” |
| —Paula Maes (2017)[6] | ||
7. What qualities and skills would you bring to the Board of Education?
| “ | The skills I bring to the board are the ability to compromise and collaborate with others, as
well having prior knowledge and experience serving on the board previously. This is a 7 person body that needs to work together and agree to disagree. The board members need to set aside their personal agenda and act on what is best for the entire district, this is goal. It is a goal that will bring much needed change to APS for the good of all who are involved.[5] |
” |
| —Paula Maes (2017)[6] | ||
8. What school or community volunteer activities have you participated in related to the community?
| “ | I have worked in my sons’ school since 1990. I have worked with UNM Children’s Hospital, Explora, and the UNM Journalism Advisory Committee.[5] | ” |
| —Paula Maes (2017)[6] | ||
9. How do you plan to work with constituents?
| “ | I have an open door policy. Constituents can contact me my phone, email, and social media at any time.[5] | ” |
| —Paula Maes (2017)[6] | ||
10. What do you see as opportunities and challenges to the district?
| “ | The opportunities of APS are its teachers, its parents its students and its community being
involved and working together throughout the entire year. Its challenges are its public perception, student outcome and real community engagement.[5] |
” |
| —Paula Maes (2017)[6] | ||
11. What do you think is the best way for the district to accomplish the three academic goals?
- a. Early learning - Early learning begins with expecting parents, is nurtured as children develop language and number skills in elementary school, and grows with students as they mature in supportive classrooms becoming adept at using these skills in a variety of contexts.
- b. College and Career Readiness - Students acquire skills which support formal and informal life-long learning to adapt and remain productive through changing economic and job market landscapes. All students will be prepared for postsecondary opportunities (college and/or career) without the need for remediation.
- c. Developing the Whole Child - APS will ensure each child is safe, engaged, challenged and supported through programs and practices focused on removing social, emotional and physical barriers to learning and increased health literacy.
- Safe and welcoming environment
- Whole Child includes ... physical, mental, emotional, social, intellectual
- Remove barriers to learning
- Discover and develop individual gifts and talents
- Use skills to better the community
| “ | The best way for the district to achieve these academic goals are to gain the trust and
respect of the public. The public will support these goals in which they believe, trust and respect the district. APS needs the entire community to engage in its students and their future not only now, but in years ahead. If the community totally engages with the board of education, the goals will be met. Money is also important and that lies in the hands of the legislature. The board must also act in the best interest of its students and the district as a whole.[5] |
” |
| —Paula Maes (2017)[6] | ||
12. If elected, how will you work with the current board?
| “ | I will work with the current board members with respect and our goals should be common.[5] | ” |
| —Paula Maes (2017)[6] | ||
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Bernalillo County Clerk, "APS/CNM School Board Election February 7, 2017 Unofficial Results," accessed February 7, 2017
- ↑ Bernalillo County, "2017 School Board Election Candidates," accessed February 1, 2017
- ↑ Albuquerque Journal, "APS board election attracts 24 candidates," December 20, 2016
- ↑ New Mexico Campaign Finance Information System, "Public Reports: Search Candidates," accessed April 4, 2017
- ↑ 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 Albuquerque Public Schools, "2017 Questionnaire for Board of Education Candidates," accessed February 2, 2017
| Albuquerque Public Schools elections in 2017 | |
| Bernalillo County, New Mexico | |
| Election date: | February 7, 2017 |
| Candidates: | District 3: • Incumbent, Lorenzo Garcia • Ali Ennenga • Amy Legant • Charles White District 5: • Annie Bell-Rahman • Rachel Gonzales • Kayla Marshall • Candelaria Patterson District 6: • Abbas Ali Akhil • Elizabeth Armijo • C. Douglas Brown • Melissa Finch • Paula Maes • Paul Sievert District 7: • Incumbent, David Peercy • Ian Burch • William Steinberg • Brian Tierney |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Additional elections on the ballot • Key deadlines |
