Accreditation Feature Stories

Creating Schools Students Want to Attend: Channell Segura’s Approach to Attendance Improvement

July 2026

Behind successful attendance improvement plans are students who found support and educators who made student engagement a daily priority.

Channell Segura, Superintendent of Pojoaque Valley School District, is one of those educators.

Each year, districts across New Mexico develop attendance improvement plans to address chronic absenteeism. In Pojoaque Valley, that process begins with a close examination of attendance data and a collaborative effort to understand why students are missing school.

“We pull our leadership teams together and conduct a root cause analysis,” Segura said. “We look at our data and ask, ‘Why are students missing school, and what can we do differently?'”

For Channell Segura, one of the most important questions is how schools can become places that students want to attend.

“How do we create the spaces and the places for kids to want to be?” Segura said. “We’re trying to make school great so that students have a passion and desire to come to school, connect with their peers, connect with their teachers, and be involved.”

There are so many different things that can affect whether a student comes to school. Channell Segura emphasized that attendance challenges rarely stem from a single cause. Students may face transportation barriers, bullying, academic disengagement, or other obstacles that prevent them from attending school consistently.

Drawing from seven years of experience as a high school English teacher, Channell Segura believes that relationships remain one of the most powerful attendance strategies available.

“My priority was always to learn every student’s name during the first week of school,” she said. “I greeted them at the door every day and created a culture of care in my classroom.”

That same philosophy now guides the district’s approach to attendance improvement. Staff members work closely with families to seek solutions that remove barriers preventing students from coming to school. With this approach in place, Pojoaque Valley has already seen an increase in attendance.

“I’m really proud of the commitment our adults have to helping kids,” Segura stated. “Our community wraps around our students, and people are willing to go above and beyond to support families.”

For Segura, attendance improvement is not a finished task but an ongoing effort that requires schools and communities to continually adapt to meet the needs of their students.

Seeing Every Student: How Caseload Helps Shape Gifted Education

June 2026

Kate Morris, Gifted Instructional Coach at Central Consolidated School District (CCSD), is committed to ensuring every gifted student is represented and equipped with the tools needed to succeed.

Within gifted education, caseload is more than an accreditation requirement. It is a reflection of a district’s commitment to identifying and supporting students whose academic needs often go unnoticed.

“When I started in this position, it was important to me that we screened as many students as possible,” Morris said.

That commitment has produced measurable results. In just a few years, the number of students identified for gifted services in the Central Consolidated School District has increased five times the amount since 2023.

After spending years as a gifted educator, Morris pursued a master’s degree in gifted education and programming before stepping into her current gifted coaching role. Through professional learning and ongoing support for educators across the district, she has helped strengthen and expand gifted services for students all across CCSD.

A significant shift came with New Mexico’s 2023 gifted education rule change, which requires all students to be screened for gifted eligibility at least once. Prior to the change, many students who qualified for gifted services were never identified.

For Morris, identification is only the first step. Ensuring students have access to qualified gifted educators is equally important.

“If they did not have the support, then they would not be reaching for the stars,” she said.

Gifted educators play a unique role in helping students reach their full potential. Through specialized training, they are equipped to recognize advanced learning needs and provide instruction that challenges students, fosters growth, and keeps them engaged in the classroom.

Meeting gifted education caseload requirements helps ensure students receive the individualized attention and advanced learning opportunities they need to succeed. For Morris, investing in gifted educators is an investment in students’ futures.

“Kate Morris and her team have shown great dedication to improving gifted identification and services for the students of CCSD,” Christopher Vian, Education Administrator for Multi-Layered System of Supports (MLSS) and Gifted Education said. “They are an exemplar district in the state for how to do gifted correctly.”

By expanding identification efforts and strengthening support systems, the Central Consolidated School District is creating more opportunities for gifted students to feel challenged, supported, and empowered to achieve their goals

A Collaborative Path Forward: Carrie Hernandez on Accreditation Success

May 2026

For Carrie Hernandez, who oversees federal programs and curriculum instruction at Hatch Public Schools, the state’s updated accreditation process has brought the clarity districts have long needed.

This new accreditation process emphasizes continuous improvement efforts. Districts are encouraged to regularly review their performances and make targeted adjustments throughout the year in multiple components. This system supports a more proactive approach to school improvement.

“It’s been absolutely spot on,” Hernandez said. “Anytime we had a hiccup, I was able to contact Elizabeth, and she connected me with the right people right away.”

Elizabeth Hughart, Federal Program Monitor Specialist, provides support to districts during the accreditation process by connecting schools to all the necessary resources to be successful.

In a small district where administrators juggle multiple roles, having a streamlined system and direct access to support has made a noticeable difference.

“For those of us who’ve been around a while, it’s really nice to finally have one way to do this,” she said.

The process, supported by the PED, is designed to better align planning with student outcomes. Hernandez said that the connection is already resonating at the school level.

“It helps my site principals understand that what they put into their plans directly impacts students,” she said. “And now, that work is actually being measured.”

Even with the challenges of implementing multiple initiatives at once, Hernandez described the rollout as collaborative and responsive.

“The conversations were not top-down,” she said. “It was very much, ‘Let’s figure out how we can help you.’ ” For Hernandez, that support – especially the ability to quickly connect with the right people – has been key.

“She’s a true connector,” she said. “She helps move things forward and gets you to the right next steps.”

While there’s still an adjustment period, Hernandez is confident in the direction the work is heading.

Training for Impact: Samantha Gonzales’ Commitment to Taos Academy

April 2026

At Taos Academy Charter School, strong governance plays a key role in student achievement. As board chair, Samantha Gonzales understands that meaningful board training is essential to maintaining accountability and supporting students.

“I didn’t really understand what it meant to provide effective governance until I participated in training,” says Samantha. “That’s what opened my eyes to how the board and the school operate together.”

During training, governing body members are instructed on the various laws and responsibilities applicable to their role. These sessions clarify the relationship between governance and management, helping board members understand where their authority begins and ends. For Samantha, that clarity was critical.

At Taos Academy, board member training focuses on procedural efficiency: how meetings are structured, how agendas are developed, and how discussions stay focused and productive. This training helps ensure that board time is used effectively and that decisions are made with clarity and purpose.

“Proper training informs every decision a board makes,” says Samantha, “from learning how to conduct proper financial internal controls, knowing the types of questions to ask about academic data, evaluating a head administrator, or even learning how to appropriately handle public comment — it all comes from the application of the training we receive as board members.”

Through intentional, ongoing training, the Taos Academy Governing Council ensures accreditation is more than a process. It represents a shared commitment to transparency, responsibility, and excellence. At Taos Academy, training is not just something board members complete, it is something they actively use, shaping not only how they lead, but how the school continues to thrive.

It’s Not Magic: Lake Arthur School District Optimizes Learning Environment
with Exemplary Class Sizes

February 2026

Lake Arthur School District is one of 20 micro-districts across the state, serving approximately 200 students. While smaller districts may appear to have an advantage when it comes to class size, maintaining those numbers requires deliberate and often difficult decisions when facing competing priorities.

To Lake Arthur Superintendent Elisa Begueria, the importance of Accreditation Component 9.1, Class Loads and Class Sizes, is clear. Receiving an exemplary review from the Educator Growth and Development Bureau was not about complex systems, but measuring classroom size against staffing and budget demands, a challenge district leaders across the state can readily relate to.

“We’re very small, and I want to be upfront about that,” Superintendent Begueria explains. “I am not working any magic here. It is about prioritizing the budget.”

Rather than consolidating classes to reduce staffing costs, Lake Arthur has made a deliberate choice to preserve smaller class loads. That decision can result in difficult compromises. Funds that might otherwise be directed toward expanding course offerings, investing in new programs, or upgrading facilities are allocated to staffing levels that support individualized instruction instead. Prioritizing class size requires careful budgeting and a clear understanding of what matters most—benefiting the students.

This decision is extremely important, given that the district has a high population of English language learners and students with disabilities. Smaller class sizes and loads allow teachers to meet individual needs for each student. This targeted support helps to build meaningful relationships and strengthen student outcomes.

“In our small district, it is about what we value,” says Superintendent Begueria. “And what we value is the power of a teacher in the classroom.”

By prioritizing appropriate class sizes, Lake Arthur School District shows how intentional decisions can create classrooms where students receive individualized support, stay engaged, and achieve stronger academic outcomes. These choices not only benefit students, but also support a stable teaching force, demonstrating how clear standards and thoughtful resource use can make a lasting impact.