Otero County LULAC support for Walter Aleluya at AHS

League of United Latin American Citizens May 15, 2024

Otero County LULAC -Council 8105

Contact: Joann Chávez Vullo, President -oterocountylulac@gmail.com
or Stan Hernández, Media

Dear APS board members,

We write in support of the continued employment with Alamogordo High School of Mr. Walter Aleluya – culinary teacher. He has been teaching for five years under a J-1 visa, at no cost to APS. He can continue to teach at AHS, under an HB-1 visa – although he would need to be hired and paid a salary commensurate with his experience and certifications, just like any other teaching staff.

By all indications, Mr. Aleluya is an exceptional teacher – with awards and accolades from his peers, the praise of his students, and – we assume – glowing performance evaluations. It is puzzling to us why an exemplary teacher – working to impart career course knowledge – is not snapped up by APS at the first opportunity.

As far as the money goes – a culinary teacher’s salary in Alamogordo as of April 24, 2024 ranged from $40,046 to $54,600. Given his success with students, we would expect him to come in at the high end of the salary range. But even so, the estimated cost of up to $3,500 to provide Mr. Aleluya an HB-1 visa is a mere drop in the bucket of the $47,000 or so it would cost to hire him – less than 10% of his salary.

As far as the money goes – a culinary teacher’s salary in Alamogordo as of April 24, 2024 ranged from $40,046 to $54,600. Given his success with students, we would expect him to come in at the high end of the salary range. But even so, the estimated cost of up to $3,500 to provide Mr. Aleluya an HB-1 visa is a mere drop in the bucket of the $47,000 or so it would cost to hire him – less than 10% of his salary.

And if cost is the rationale for not hiring Mr. Aleluya, that doesn’t make much sense. Hiring Mr. Aleluya would not preclude APS from bringing in another teacher on a J-1 visa. We have had five years of Mr. Aleluya’s stellar teaching services. He deserves – and our students and parents and community deserve – the best teachers we can find. It’s a matter of equity. By all indications, Mr. Aleluya has given of himself generously.

We often say that the children are our future. In this case, it is literally true. What lessons will our current and future students take from a failure to avail ourselves and our posterity of the best teaching that we can provide?

Respectfully yours,

Joann Vullo, President OCL 8105