Albuquerque instructor goes viral on TikTok for pay issues

ALBUQUERQUE, NM (KRQE) – An Albuquerque teacher gets a lot of attention after a TikTok video of telling her class she is quitting went viral. She hopes to encourage changes in teacher pay in the district. After a recent move to New Mexico, Mahalia Aponte quickly applied for a position at Garfield Middle School.

“I started working there, fell in love with the position, had a great time with the kids,” said Aponte. “I got my very first paycheck and was immediately concerned.”

The 8th grade social studies teacher says she started a few months into the school year after she finally got her second license from the New Mexico Public Education Department.

“Since I didn’t start the year, they converted my annual salary from $ 51,000 to $ 34,500,” Aponte said. “I have not received a confirmation that we have changed it in the system, you can get started, this is how it will be now, and this is also how our tariff structure is structured. I didn’t notice anything of that. “

Even so, she thought that, like other counties where she worked, she would have the option of receiving larger checks during the nine-month school year instead of spreading the salary over a full calendar year as she has another job full-time. during the summer months.

However, she says that no one in Albuquerque public schools made it clear that they would only work on a 12-month wage plan until they started working. Because that prorated salary was spread over the year, she got a monthly income just $ 400 more than her rent.

“I have a feeling this is happening to so many teachers,” said Aponte. “It happens too often and we don’t say anything about it.”

In a TikTok video that has now gone viral, Aponte announced to her class that she would not be returning because she couldn’t afford to live on her salary. She later posted a second video explaining what happened.

“I can’t work here all day and then do my second job all night to make ends meet, Monday through Friday, plus work on weekends,” says Aponte. “I don’t have time for myself. I don’t even have the time to grade my work outside of class. “

Aponte hopes her experience can vocalize in helping other teachers new to the district so they can better prepare for pay. She also hopes that maybe it can even change the district itself, giving teachers the option of how they are paid.

“The comments there,” said Aponte. “It is astronomical how many teachers are in the same position as me or worse.”

In the meantime, Aponte says she’ll be working full-time as a bartender and waitress, along with tutoring. She says she will reevaluate a future at APS before the school year starts. KRQE News 13 reached out to APS, but with the district on hiatus, no one was available for comment until next week.

Comments are closed.