APS Leadership and Moral Courage

For twelve years, I have tried to establish for the Leadership of the APS, honest accountability to the same standard of conduct that applies to students.

I left my Character Counts training 12 years ago, believing that Character Counts was the best shot we ever had, ever would have, to turn children into adults with character and courage and honor.

I remember feeling my heart sink, when Michael Josephson answered a question about the role of administrative leadership in promoting Character Counts. He said that is was going to have to be a grassroots effort. The subordinates were going to have to inspire the leadership to commitment.

I guess I knew then that Character Counts was destined to fail. Never the less, I spent twelve years trying to get the Leadership of the APS to model and promote the Pillars of Character Counts.

That specific phrase used to be in the standards of conduct for the leadership. At one time they were actually expected to model and promote the Pillars of Character Counts; the same expectation that applied to students.

Now they are not. They removed that expectation from the standard of conduct to which they are held accountable.

Now every adult telling a child that their character depends on holding themselves accountable to a higher standard; models hypocrisy. They are not themselves, accountable to a higher standard of conduct. They expect more from the child than they expect from themselves.

History teaches us that no younger generation has ever met the standards of their parents generation. Invariably though, they live up to the example that is set for them.

Every generation expects the next generation to be the first to hold itself honestly accountable to a higher standard of conduct. It hasn’t worked, it doesn’t work, it will never work.

For five board meetings in a row, I have stood up at public forum and asked the Leadership of the APS to hold themselves honestly accountable to the same standard that applies to students. At each of those meetings I prepared a handout that explaining the problem and asking for support.

Still I am standing alone. Is there not a single administrator in APS that is willing to stand up and hold themselves accountable to the standard that they enforce upon students?

Is there not a single Character Counts advocate who will stand up for what they believe in?

Not a single teacher; or parent, or community member?

Not a single voter? Not only are they refusing accountability as role models for students; they are refusing accountability as stewards of public money.

Why won’t anyone stand up?

“All that is necessary for evil to prevail in the world, is for good men to do nothing” burke