Alamogordo School Board Elections Facts and Endorsement

My family arrived in Alamogordo in 1964 when the town was on the cusp of significant growth, the school system ranked in the top 10 in the nation and recruited teachers from around the country as it was one of the highest paying systems in the west. My father and mother were key leaders for several decades in the schools. During periods of turmoil and transition, racial tensions and poverty my parents were leaders and respected for their ability to lead and support student outcomes for success. My extended family also taught and I taught briefly in Alamogordo and then at the college level. I achieved a double masters one in Epidemiology and one in Health Sciences and coached with the Big 12 NCAA schools to great success. I am a product of the Alamogordo public schools - an Olympic Trails Athlete, a successful and accomplished NCAA Division I coach, a local business owner and an influencer via media properties I own and are managed by my partner. With that said my family fully endorses public education. 

The 1960s have long passed and the educational requirements of the 60s, 70s and 80s are much different today. We live in a much more information accessible culture than in the past. However with that access also comes much propaganda, false narratives and misinformation. Transparency is greater today in the Alamogordo Public Schools in budgets and awarded contracts than at any time in the school systems history. I’ve heard the rumors on spending but here are some facts…

the notorious massage chair for staff that individuals are spreading rumors about was paid for with private money through a grant not taxpayer money. Fact not taxpayer funded.

The clothing closet at the high school is NOT a closet for kids to play dress up with and rebel against gender stereotypes the clothing closet is there to assist children in need with clothing that is suitable for school. 

The schools do NOT teach Critical Race Theory. That is a college level curriculum that few locally clearly understand let alone would know how to teach. As a mixed race Hispanic and Irish Male I seriously don’t get what the fear is anyhow in learning about other cultures, races and beliefs.

Regardless curriculum is NOT dictated nor controlled by the local school system. MOMs of Liberty and other groups from outside of Alamogordo are attempting to influence your beliefs via a platform of disinformation and hate for anything not fundamentalist Christian and White. See through the bullshi-. 

A lawsuit was filed costing the school system thousands, propaganda is being spewed that the focus of the school system should change. There is an element in Alamogordo that wants to dismantle the public school system and go with only private learning. The greatest achievement of the United States was the creation of public education and the best college system in the world. Every nation in the world modeled their system after the US system yet there are those locally that want to dismantle and destroy public education.

Home based education does not equip students with social skills nor the knowledge to compete in the industries of the 21st Century. 

Our schools need improvement of course!!  The last year the school board members under the leadership of Judy Rabon, with the support of Amanda Jewell and Carol Teweleit have made great strides in budget reconciliation and accountability, clearly working to improve health through the Telehealth partnership and are working hard on improving communications and transparency. 

In 1980 if a citizen wanted to know how money in the school system was being spent they would ask and if they were lucky and an insider then they would get an answer. Today under the leadership and implementation of policies by Rabon, Jewell, Teweleit and others every budget dollar spent on bond money and capital spending is tracked and viable on a website we as citizens can pull up at any time for information at https://allin4ourkids.my.canva.site/aps-capital-construction#building-t…

Early voting begins Tuesday. Alamogordo has been easily manipulated the last several years by outsiders. From the propaganda on voting transparency that cost Otero County taxpayers thousands for a result and finding of no problems in Otero County to frivolous lawsuits being filed costing local taxpayers hundreds of thousands. It is time we quit letting outsiders that don’t live in Alamogordo influence our local elections and outcomes.

It is time we back those individuals that have been in Alamogordo with a history of understanding Alamogordo past and present with an eye on the future those candidates for school board that best represent the interests of the future are Judy Rabon, Amanda Jewell and Carol Teweleit.

The Sepulveda family with its decades of experience in education fully endorse these three individuals in the upcoming 2023 school board elections.

-R Sepulveda Alamogordo New Mexico