Matt Montaño is the superintendent of Bernalillo Public Schools in New Mexico, a district he once served as a substitute teacher and later as a classroom educator, assistant principal, and principal. Since returning to lead his hometown schools, Montaño has championed educational equity, cultural responsiveness, and instructional leadership.

Prior to rejoining Bernalillo, he served as Deputy Commissioner for Special Populations at the Texas Education Agency overseeing statewide special education initiatives and held leadership roles at the New Mexico Public Education Department, including Deputy Secretary for Teaching and Learning and Director of Educator Quality, where he managed professional licensure, bilingual education, virtual learning, and educator ethics.

Leading Bernalillo Public Schools in a Time of Change

When I first accepted the role of superintendent of Bernalillo Public Schools, I knew the responsibility would be immense. I was stepping into a district that stretches across fifteen different communities, nine campuses, and serves thousands of children from pre-K through twelfth grade. At the heart of this district lies the town of Bernalillo, but our reach extends far beyond it, touching seven sovereign tribal nations and the many small rural towns that dot our part of New Mexico.

Each community has its own history and traditions. Each one entrusts us with its children, asking us to prepare them for a future that looks very different from the world in which their parents grew up. That trust weighs on me every day, not as a burden but as a calling.

My role, simply put, is to ensure that our schools are places of opportunity. That means managing instruction, overseeing operations, maintaining safe and welcoming facilities, and using every public dollar responsibly. But more than that, it means keeping the promise that every student, regardless of where they come from, will leave our schools ready to succeed in college, careers, and life.

A Changing Classroom

An old saying is that if you brought someone from 400 years ago into a modern school, they would still recognize it as a classroom. The same cannot be said for any other part of society. In many ways, schools have been slow to change.

But something new is shifting that reality: artificial intelligence. Today, you cannot engage with technology without encountering AI. It is in the apps our students use, the tools our teachers rely on, and the systems we use to manage the district. For some, AI feels like a threat. Will it replace teachers? Will it make classrooms obsolete? I don’t believe so. Instead, I see it as an opportunity.

When calculators arrived, they did not destroy mathematics. They enhanced it. When email first appeared, it seemed awkward, even unnecessary. Today, I cannot imagine life without it. Artificial intelligence, I believe, will follow a similar path. It will not erase the teacher, but it will amplify the teacher’s power to reach students, personalize learning, and focus on what really matters—understanding and application.

“We honor the cultures and languages students bring with them. We do not erase identity; we embrace it as a gateway to learning”

Teachers and Principals at the Center

Even as technology transforms the world, nothing replaces the human being at the heart of education. The teacher remains the most significant factor in student success, and the principal remains the most crucial factor in supporting teachers. That truth has not changed in my thirty years of work.

In Bernalillo, we are doubling down on professional development. But I don’t want professional learning to be a patchwork of sessions that simply fill a calendar. I want it to be coherent, purposeful, and connected to what we hope to see in classrooms. Every initiative must answer a single question: What will be different for students if this succeeds?

Equally important is the role of principals. Too often, principals are viewed as building managers who handle schedules, buses, and discipline. Those things matter, but they are not the essence of leadership. I want our principals to be instructional leaders, to walk into classrooms to observe, coach, guide, and support. This shift is difficult. It requires retraining, rethinking, and sometimes unlearning old habits. However, we cannot expect student outcomes to improve meaningfully without it.

Nights of Reflection

At the end of each day, when the emails slow down and the phone stops buzzing, I ask myself three questions. What went right today? What didn’t go right? And what was my contribution to either outcome?

Leadership requires reflection and humility. Even with thirty years behind me, I am still learning daily. I surround myself with people who are more talented than I am, people who see things differently, and people who challenge me to grow. I remind myself that not everyone will agree with my decisions. Thick skin is necessary. My responsibility is not to make everyone happy but to lead with integrity, clarity, and vision.

Lessons from the Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic tested every assumption we had about education. Overnight, we had to pivot to remote learning. Teachers who had never taught online were suddenly expected to master it. Families had to adapt to learning at home. It was messy, uneven, and often frustrating.

Yet something important emerged from that moment. We discovered tools we had never used before. We realized that remote learning could create opportunities for students who otherwise might not have access to high-quality instruction. Those tools did not disappear when schools reopened. They have only improved. Remote learning will become more powerful in the years ahead, creating equity and access for students worldwide.

The Power of Education to Transform

At the heart of my work is a simple belief: education is the great equalizer. Done right, it can change the trajectory of students’ lives, their families’ lives, and ultimately, entire communities.

In Bernalillo, we operate on four guiding principles. First, every adult in the system—whether a custodian, bus driver, teacher, or principal—shares responsibility for student success. Second, we recognize that while potential is distributed evenly among students, opportunity is not. Our job is to close that gap. Third, we honor the cultures and languages students bring with them. We do not erase identity; we embrace it as a gateway to learning. Finally, we know that student outcomes will not change unless adult behaviors change. Teachers, leaders, and staff must continually adapt, learn, and grow.

These principles are not slogans. They guide our daily work. When a custodian ensures clean classrooms, they are not just maintaining a building but supporting learning. When a principal coaches a teacher, they are not just offering feedback but shaping the future. Everyone has a role.

The Double-Edged Sword of Technology

Technology is both a gift and a challenge. Every student in our district has a Chromebook, but we restrict cell phone use. The irony is not lost on me. The device students are most familiar with is the one we fear distracts them the most.

The truth is that technology can be overwhelming. Ten years ago, online curricula were limited. Today, almost everything is available digitally. That shift reduces barriers, but it also creates fears. Teachers worry about plagiarism and about students using AI to bypass critical thinking. Those fears are valid, but they are also opportunities.

I like to compare it to the invention of the nail gun. Before it, carpenters framed houses with hammers and nails, a slow and laborious process. The nail gun dramatically increased speed and efficiency. No carpenter would choose to go back to the hammer. Likewise, no teacher should ignore the tools now available. The question is not whether we use them, but how.

The most significant hurdle is time. Teachers already carry heavy responsibilities. They cannot easily step away for hours of training. Creating time and space for teachers to learn new tools is one of my biggest challenges as superintendent. However, it is a challenge we must face because students deserve teachers who are confident and capable of using modern tools.

A Classroom Return

Last year, after two decades in administration, I returned to the classroom to teach U.S. history. I wanted to reconnect and experience firsthand what it means to stand in front of students today. What I discovered was both humbling and inspiring.

Our students are swimming in information. Social media feeds them a constant stream of facts, opinions, and, often, misinformation. They are engaged, but their attention spans are shorter than ever. More than ever, they need guidance— not just in learning history, but in discerning truth from fiction. Helping them develop critical thinking skills is as important as teaching them dates and events.

That experience reminded me why we cannot let technology overshadow humanity. No matter how advanced AI becomes, students will always need adults to help them make sense of the world.

Modeling Adaptability

As I look to the future, I know artificial intelligence will evolve rapidly. In 24 months, it will not look the same as it does today. But I believe educators will adapt. We always have.

The bigger challenge may be cultural. We must teach students not only how to use tools but also how to use them responsibly. We must teach ethics, critical thinking, and discernment. And we must remain adaptable ourselves. Too often, we expect students to be flexible learners while we, as adults, resist change. If we ask for their adaptability, we must model it ourselves.

Shaping a Future Worthy of Children’s Potential

My role as superintendent is not about working directly with students every day. It is about building leadership among adults, creating mission alignment, and ensuring that every person in the system has the resources, clarity, and inspiration to do their work well. Leadership is never about me; it is always about us.

At my core, I believe public education is the single most powerful force for equity in our society. Done well, it changes lives and communities. That belief drives me every day.

Bernalillo Public Schools is not just a district. It is a story of communities coming together to prepare their children for the future. My role is to help write that story—not with my words, but with the actions of every teacher, principal, custodian, and student who walk through our doors. Together, we are shaping a future worthy of our children’s potential.