The Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce held its Annual Meeting on October 30 at the Albuquerque Convention Center. The event featured Robert Pondiscio, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, as the keynote speaker. Pondiscio addressed the future of education, emphasizing changes in public education and the rise of alternative schooling options.
Pondiscio began by asking attendees about their educational backgrounds, noting that nearly 40% of children today attend schools outside traditional geographically zoned public school districts. "That is a remarkable shift that has occurred within the lifetime of everybody in this room," he said. "Our perception of public education is evolving."
He discussed how disruption has impacted education similarly to other sectors and introduced the concept of "peak oil" to describe a potential peak in public school attendance. "We have not yet reached 'peak oil' — we might not in our lifetime — but we have hit peak public education, peak public school," Pondiscio stated.
Chronic absenteeism was highlighted as a significant issue affecting public schools nationwide, with New Mexico experiencing some of the worst rates. Pondiscio predicted that by decade's end, half of American children might seek alternatives to traditional public schooling.
Albuquerque Public Schools Superintendent Gabriella Durán Blakey and several board members attended alongside representatives from charter schools and Public Charter Schools of New Mexico.
Pondiscio advised against creating conflicts between private and public entities before concluding his address.
Before Pondiscio's speech, Chamber President Terri Cole; GACC Chairman Del Esparza; and Mike Canfield introduced new Chamber members Capra Bank and Ezee Fiber. Canfield also welcomed Caring Hearts Senior Housing Advisors, Kingdom Glow Beauty, and Unitek to the Chamber.
Esparza spoke about business growth being vital for community development: “It’s a good thing for everyone,” he said. “Business growth is essential to building a better, stronger city.”
Cole emphasized collaboration: “We want your help and need your voice behind us," she said. "On the big challenges we face... it is absolutely achievable if we join forces to improve this place we love so much.”
Attendees participated in a question-and-answer session during Pondiscio’s speech.
