FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: John Dyrcz
January 23, 2026 505-554-8679


Albuquerque – American Federation of Teachers New Mexico President Whitney Holland and Explore Academy Faculty & Staff Association teacher organizers Carolyn Stice, Alea Trafton, and Victoria Cardona released the following statements:

“Today’s certification of a new bargaining unit for educators at Explore Academy opens a new chapter for our union. The Explore Academy Faculty & Staff Association represents our first public charter school under the AFT New Mexico banner, and we are thankful for the trust these professionals have placed with our union.

“I firmly believe that every worker who wants a union should have one, and public charter school educators are no different. We look forward to sharing the energy, knowledge, and advocacy of our union with the educators at Explore Academy, which, I hope will be one of many public charter schools to organize with us in the future,” said Holland.

"The teachers at Explore Academy care deeply about our school, our model, and most importantly, our students. However, we have often felt undervalued and unheard. We are excited to move forward in partnership with our administration in drafting a collective bargaining agreement that will uphold the high standards of our institution, while also granting teachers the much-needed autonomy to participate in positively shaping its future,” said Stice.

“We are thrilled to contribute to creating a positive and collaborative work environment where faculty and administration can work together towards the best interests of all parties involved,” said Cardona.

“The teachers here at Explore Academy are very excited to have the opportunity to join voices through the union to help create a more professional and positive environment at the school that can serve as a model of professionalism for our students and enable us to continue performing at an exceptional level. Our faculty are incredibly talented, smart and dedicated and we look forward to helping shape the future of the school along with our Administrative team,” said Trafton.

###

The New Mexico Public Employee Labor Relations Board issued certification for this unit on January 23, 2026 with over 61% support. The 128 school employees will form the Explore Academy Faculty & Staff Association; a new local union organized with the American Federation of Teachers New Mexico.