Teachers’ union weighs in on air conditioning problems in primary school classrooms

ALBUQUERQUE, NM – It may be September, but we still have to battle 90-degree Fahrenheit temperatures several days a week. For some people, it’s easy to stay home and take a break from the heat.

But as KOB 4 reported, it’s not that easy for some Albuquerque Public Schools students and teachers still struggling in hot classrooms.

The Albuquerque Federation of Teachers is looking for a more permanent solution, and not just for APS.

A few weeks ago, the union began talking about upgrading HVAC systems and getting funding from lawmakers.

The second meeting with the union to address the issue of constant heat in classrooms was held on Tuesday night. They heard from teachers about their personal experience before voting on a motion to upgrade heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems in public schools.

154 federal ATF representatives were present Tuesday night between Zoom and in person.

According to union president Ellen Bernstein, nearly 70 percent of APS facilities use swamp coolers, and they are not as efficient as air-cooled.

On Tuesday night, they unanimously approved a motion to modernize HVAC systems.

Bernstein says the next step is to reach out to the other 89 school districts across the state to see how widespread the problem is and to reach out to lawmakers about using federal dollars to help districts upgrade their swamp coolers.

“There was unanimous agreement that we need to start addressing this problem now. Every year it gets a little bit hotter and we have more classrooms that are simply inadequate to continue teaching and learning comfortably,” Bernstein said.

APS Superintendent Gabrielle Duran Blakey has expressed support for these improvements and says the district can use whatever amount of money lawmakers are willing to contribute for HVAC improvements.

It’s also important to note that the union wants to use a combination of district funds and federal dollars. They know it’s not a quick fix and it will take time to convert all schools to refrigerated air conditioning.

“We’re going to figure out which schools need the most help and start with the kids who are in the deepest poverty, round them up and prioritize them. We’re looking at using money that maybe came in with higher revenues but isn’t necessarily allocated as recurring money, but is left over so we don’t have to ask anybody in the Legislature, ‘Yes, I’m ready to take on this huge, gigantic recurring bill,’” Bernstein said.

The teachers union has also been collecting surveys from APS teachers about their experiences in hot classrooms.

Bernstein says if they use federal money to convert to solar, it will offset some of the cost of converting to air-cooled.

“I agree, we need solar energy, we need something, we have to do something for our children, for education, for the future, because this cannot continue,” said AFT representative Becky Davis.

“It’s a great idea, I can’t wait to talk to legislators to see what it would look like in terms of policy, but I know all teachers are ready for a change to make sure they do the best job possible,” Bernstein said.

Now that this motion has passed, they will begin contacting legislators who want to support this effort with a bill.

State Rep. Joy Garratt sent the following statement to KOB 4:

“As someone who taught in portable and regular classrooms with APS for 12 years and a state legislator committed to strengthening our cradle-to-career education system, I can tell you that appropriate seasonal temperatures and clean air are vital to student success.

Opening windows is not an adequate solution for cooling and our swamp coolers are struggling to meet the cooling needs in classrooms, especially with higher temperatures due to climate change and the start of school in late July and early August.

“State lawmakers look forward to working with teachers, parents and school districts to truly address these issues and cool down our classrooms so students can focus on learning when they are in school.”