Dr. Gabriella Blakey

Superintendent, Albuquerque Public Schools


About

Dr. Gabriella Durán Blakey grew up in Albuquerque’s Southeast Heights, the daughter of a nurse and a longtime educator who instilled in their three children the value of being of service to others.

A collaborative leader, Dr. Blakey has spent her career working to improve outcomes for children and investing her time in organizations and initiatives that build successful communities. She is a staunch advocate for getting more women into leadership roles.

As the Chief Operations Officer for Albuquerque Public Schools for the last three-and-a-half years, Dr. Blakey has overseen everything from transportation and school meals to APS Police and more than 16 million square feet of facilities. She directed the investment of millions of dollars in infrastructure improvements to make schools safer, and she and her team have overseen the rebuilds of five schools and the construction of two transportation centers.

During the pandemic, she led district initiatives for COVID-19 safety protocols in schools, coordinated food distribution of over 1 million meals to the community, worked with the city’s Emergency Management Department and the state Department of Health to set up community vaccination sites, and played a key role in the reopening of all 143 APS schools.

Altogether, Dr. Blakey has worked at APS for more than 20 years, starting as a social studies and English Language Learner teacher at Highland High and Albuquerque Evening School and then serving as an assistant principal, principal, and associate superintendent.

As an associate superintendent, Dr. Blakey:

  • Created a school transformation model for three schools designated as failing, resulting in increased student performance outcomes.
  • Developed a school data scorecard, leading to increases in key performance indicators at every school in her zone and resulting in increased student performance on the state assessment of up to 30%.
  • Implemented, trained, and led Instructional Rounds as a model of professional development for 143 principals, resulting in a double-digit increase in student performance on the state assessment.

She earned her doctorate of education and Master of Arts in educational leadership from the University of New Mexico and holds a Bachelor of Science in secondary education from New Mexico State University.


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