
Living Under New Mexico Skies
Rafe Martinez: Building a School Where Every Student Belongs
In this episode of Living Under New Mexico Skies, brought to you by Parnall Law, we sit down with Rafe Martinez, co-founder and Executive Director of the Albuquerque Sign Language Academy, a one of a kind public charter school in Albuquerque that brings deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing students together under one roof through the shared language of ASL. Rafe shares the deeply personal story behind the school's founding, rooted in his own journey as the father of a deaf son with multiple disabilities. What started as a family's search for the right educational environment grew into something that is now turning heads nationally. We also strapped on our hard hats and got an exclusive behind the scenes tour of the brand new building currently under construction, a 60,000 square foot state of the art campus designed from the ground up with every student in mind. From sound loops embedded in the floors to outdoor learning spaces, an industrial kitchen for workforce training, and a student commons that doubles as a performance space, this building is unlike anything you have seen in New Mexico education.






