Letters to the editor; July 27th, 2006

The following represents an email exchange between myself and a local newspaper editor; quoted in significant part.

Dear editor,

I am preparing to distribute what I represent to be undisputed facts regarding the APS ethics scandal.

Among those facts I will include the following:

(your newspaper) has been asked on a number of occasions to investigate and report upon the scandal and has not done so.

This represents your opportunity to dispute that fact.

To which he responded:

I respectfully disagree with your analysis. The XXXXXXX covers Albuquerque Public Schools more aggressively than any media outlet in this city -- and not just from the boardroom. I'm sorry our work doesn't meet your wishes, but I'm confident we have done a solid job on education in this city. Not perfect, of course, but certainly better than you portray.

To which I responded:

Are you suggesting that you have investigated the following facts and reported upon them?

1. Students are currently accountable to a widely recognized, accepted and respected code of ethical conduct; the Pillars of Character Counts.
2. Students are required by the Student Behavior Handbook, to “model and promote the Pillars of Character Counts.
3. Board Members and Administrators are not required by any written policy to “model and promote the Pillars of Character Counts”
4. The Board removed language from the Employee Standards of Conduct which read …in no case shall the standard for adults be lower than the standard for students…
5. Neither the Board nor the Administration is currently accountable, by board policy, to any code of conduct that uses the word “ethical”.
6. A motion was placed before the Board which would have, as a matter policy, required the Board and Administration to obey the same truth telling requirements as students. The motion was disposed of by Robert Lucero without public discussion or vote by the board.
7. A motion was placed before the board which would have, as a matter of policy, required the Board and Administration to hold them selves honestly accountable for ethical misconduct. The motion was disposed of by Mary Lee Martin without public discussion or vote by the Board.
8. APS procedural directives once provided for outside impartial investigation of complaints made against administrators; they no longer do.
9. The Whistle Blower Policy passed by the Board, does not protect individuals who expose ethical misconduct by Administrators or Board Members.
10. The Board, by and through its attorneys at Modrall, have denied a “principled resolution” (the truth of the allegations was never adjudicated) of complaints of ethical and criminal misconduct by Board Members and senior Administrators.
11. According to board policy (which requires students to model the Pillars of Character Counts) students are taught that “stonewalling”, ignoring legitimate questions, violates the requirements of the Pillar of Trustworthiness.

To which he replied:

I think I've said all I'm going to say, Mr. MacQuigg. I stand by the body of our work.

To which I replied:

I believe if you ask (your education reporter) if she has ever explored these issues with the board; she will have to tell you no.

To which he did not reply.