Joseph Escobedo

2017 NACSA Leader

Joseph Escobedo serves as the Director of Charter Schools for Albuquerque Public Schools, one of the largest urban school districts in the country, serving about one-third of all the students in the state of New Mexico. In this role, he oversees all 25 locally-authorized charter schools and works with a team to move the district towards a portfolio of school of choice options.

Joseph began his career with Albuquerque Public Schools in 2005 as a communications specialist, after working in local television news. He has served a variety of roles within the District, including Director of Government Affairs, Chief Equity and Engagement Officer, and Chief of Staff for six years. His wife Jamie is a high school math teacher. They have two sons, Jaxon, age 5 and Joey, age 10.

Most Recent Posts

No Shortcuts to Student Success: The Case for Statewide Annual Assessments

When I think about why I’ve dedicated my career to advancing and strengthening the ideas and practices of authorizing, I think about the students I’ve met over the years—bright, curious...

Raising the Bar: NACSA’s Updated State Policy Recommendations

NACSA believes that strong laws enable strong authorizing. In turn, strong authorizing leads to strong public education outcomes for students, families, and communities. That’s why we regularly update our state...

A New Path Forward: NACSA’s Bold New School Application Guidance

I’ll never forget a foundational principle I learned nearly two decades ago, while authorizing in Indianapolis: It should be hard to gain approval to start a new charter school. But...