The final report of the Council of Great City Schools review of the APS PD

There are a number issues; beginning with the Acknowledgements.

First, we thank Dr. Elizabeth Everitt, ...who requested ...this assessment. Her request demonstrates a serious and substantial commitment to improving the school district's operations and the public's confidence in the Albuquerque schools.

I object to this statement on at least two grounds. First, the leadership of the APS has long since forfeited the trust of the community. Beth Everitt had no choice but to have an outside assessment done. It is disingenuous to imply that she voluntarily commissioned the review.

Further, if Beth Everitt had any real interest in improving the public's confidence in the APS, she would not be hiding the results of the Robert Caswell Investigations investigation of the corruption in the APSPD. And the full text of the CoGCS review would be available on the APS website.

Finally, the scope of the review of the APSPD by the CoGCS was deliberately narrowed, by Everitt, to avoid investigation or reporting on the "series of allegations of improprieties" in the administration of the APS PD.

I don't know of another name to assign to this part of the report, except baloney. In my opinion, it does not bode well for integrity of the whole report.

One of the recommendations of the report was to;

Re-assign the Chief of Police to report directly to the Deputy of District Resources to ensure appropriate administrative oversight...

This means, put Tom Savage back in charge of the APSPD. Considering how well this worked before; (he was removed from oversight by Everitt, ostensibly because he wasn't up to the task), one has to wonder what in the world the CoGCS thinks will be accomplished by putting things back the way they were.

Under findings;

The District has not determined, at the policy and operational levels, whether it wants a police department, a security service or, in fact, if it wants to be in the safety business at all.

For example-
Officers are required to lock their firearms in the trunks of their cars... (Every time this comes up, I can't help but think of Barney, on the Andy Griffith Show. He was allowed to carry a gun, but had to keep his bullet in his pocket.)

The district has not developed a safety plan based on analyses of its security needs.

The failure of the (board and administration) to act on recommendations contained in previous APSPD studies suggests that they lack the interest and the capacity to oversee the functions of the department.

...poor morale in the APSPD.

Training of officers and staff is generally considered to be inadequate...

APSPD equipment is either out of date or inadequate.

The district's safety and security policies and procedures have numerous shortcomings...

• Vague and out-of-date safety and security policies...
• Inconsistent protocols for handling bomb threats...

The lack of standard codes for notifying staff and students about emergency situations at schools...

There are no central inventory records of equipment...

There is no uniform district policy on the distribution of keys ...leading to an estimated 3,000 alarm calls per weekend.

APSPD has a history of over spending its budget allocations.

Last, but not least;

The annual statistical crime report ...may be inaccurate and possibly misleading. The team was advised that there is a prevailing culture of under-reporting incidents to improve the image of the district and individual schools.

I hope readers pay particular attention to the last point;
about a "prevailing culture" in the leadership of the APS, of deliberately misleading the community to improve the image of the district.


It speaks to the need for an immediate (forensic) audit of the leadership of the APS;


...loudly.

APS Could End Up With Certified Police Force.

According to the Journal, APS is considering a certified police force. Cost estimates go as high as 10 million dollars a year.

For years, APS has been saying that the APS PD costs between 2 and 3 million dollars a year. Now, a "2 million dollar" upgrade will raise the yearly total to 10 million(?) Bill Moffatt, APS chief business officer is apparently ignoring a request for longitudinal budget information on the APS PD.

Cost aside, (we either need a professional police force or not) there are greater issues which are being ignored.

In an Executive Summary of the review done by the Council of Great City Schools, it was pointed out that the leadership of the APS apparently lacked the ability to lead and oversee a professional police force. The evidence that supported that concern is being kept secret by the leadership of the APS; Beth Everitt.

Stakeholders have yet to see the Report to the Superintendent; which is the entire report of the CoGCS review; not just the summary.

Beth Everitt is also secreting the results of the Robert Caswell's private investigation of public corruption and criminal conspiracy in the leadership of the APS. The secreted information likely addresses directly, the failure of the superintendent and the board to administer the APS PD effectively.

All of this pertinent and important information is being kept "confidential for personnel protections" in apparent violation of state law; the NMIPRA. Beth Everitt has consistently refused to explain, defend, or even acknowledge her refusal to tell stakeholders the whole truth.


In the absence of any change in the lack of accountability of senior administrators; any move to professionalize the APS PD flies in the face of the clearly stated recommendation of the "experts" whose advice Everitt "supposedly" sought.

This decision needs to be made on the facts; not on the dictates of empire-building by the leadership of the APS.

This discussion should not even begin until Beth Everitt is willing to lay the whole truth on the table.



Empire-Building

The act of attempting to increase the size and scope of an individual or organization's power and influence.

In the corporate world, this is seen when managers or executives are more concerned with expanding their business units, their staffing levels and the dollar value of assets under their control than they are with developing and implementing decisions that best benefit shareholders.

Empire-building is typically seen as unhealthy for a corporation, as managers will often become more concerned with acquiring greater resource control than optimally allocating resources.

Corporate controls imposed by a company's board and upper-level management are supposed to prevent empire building within a corporation's ranks. Failure to screen out empire-builders in a corporation's upper ranks can lead to acquisitions being made that serve to boost the control of executives while not necessarily providing the best growth opportunities for a corporation and its shareholders. (derived-online dictionary)

Elsy Fiero will take the heat for gradegate

because she is the least politically powerful principle and because she doesn't have any juice with the governor;

who tells the Secretary of the NM PED what to do;

who tells the Director of the Educator Ethics Bureau
what to do.

If she did have some juice; if her husband let's say, was tight with the governor; then she too, could have avoided having to participate in the NM PED gradegate "investigation". She too, could have avoiding having to answer even a single question on the record.

And if she have some juice; her investigation by the NM PED EEB would be cleared and her innocence established without any investigation at all. Again without the asking or answering of a single question on the record.



But alas, Elsy Fiero is not Beth Everitt;

and Elsy Fiero did have to answer questions;
and Elsy Fiero will have to answer questions
on the record.



Poor, poor Elsy Fiero.

The scandal in the APS PD

became public knowledge in January of this year.

In response to community concerns about the impartiality of an APS audit; an independent investigation was commissioned.

The investigation was completed by Robert Caswell Investigations; and the results were given over to the leadership of the APS.

The leadership of the APS still has not released the results of the investigation to the public;

even in response to a request for public records under the New Mexico Inspection of Public Records Act.

APS/Modrall maintains that the public records are excepted from the requirements of the IPRA.

APS/Modrall claims that the records are "confidential due to personnel protections."

The only personnel who are being protected, are the corrupt and the incompetent in the leadership of the APS.

If there were an argument that was both legal and ethical that supported their refusal to surrender public records; the leadership of the APS would offer it in defense of their apparent willful and blatant disregard for the law.

The results of the private investigation of the APS PD contain evidence of the alleged public corruption and felony criminal misconduct.

When District Attorney Brandenbury was asked if the leadership of the APS had surrendered the evidence of criminal misconduct; She refused to answer the question.


There is evidence of criminal misconduct in the possession of APS/Modrall.

APS/Modrall refuses to surrender the records, even in complete disregard for the law.

APS/Modrall will not say whether or not they have turned the now 5 months old evidence, over to the DA.

District Attorney Brandenburg will not say if they have turned the records over to her office or not.

My guess is the evidence has not been surrendered.

Neither the leadership of the APS; nor District Attorney Brandenburg will admit on the record that there is any issue at all over whether or not the leadership of the APS was withholding incriminating evidence from the Office of the DA.


The greatest thing about membership in the priviledged class is that members cannot be compelled to explain, defend, or even acknowledge their membership.

I would like to know

how much money has been spent on the APS PD in the last tens years.

And I have asked for the truth.

on the loss of the public forum

There are some questions which must be asked and answered by each board member and every senior administrator in the APS; one of which is;

within your public service; what is the whole truth with regard to your personal involvement with the grade change at RGHS?


It is beyond dispute that they are both obligated to answer such a question; and refusing to do so.

What if they refuse to answer?

What if they have moved the public forum off of the public record of board meetings?

…and now you can no longer petition your government (ask the question); on the record?

Many members of the board pay very little attention to the forum.

Robert Lucero, on many occasions has even left the dais while someone is speaking. Otherwise, he and the Superintendent are chatting and giggling about something clearly unrelated to the angst of the speaker.

At the last board meeting, the new executive director of communication was on her blackberry most of the time; except when she left the room.

The irony of that whole thing is that the speakers at the forum were there to tell the leadership that they don't feel like the leadership of the APS is any paying attention to them (with regard to the principal shuffle).

Communication for the APS means; we will tell you what we want to tell you; and when we want to tell you. We have no interest in your "personal problems". We will neither listen to, nor respond to questions about our conduct and competence as public servants. We will spend the equivalent of three or four teacher salaries to hire a spin doctoress to make sure the community never finds out what is going on.

And if you don't like it; too bad. Deal with it.



The terms of public service are the prerogative of the master; not of the servant. It is not up to the public servant to decide when and where they will answers questions about their public service; or not.

It is the obligation of the public servant
to stand and deliver honest, candid, and forthright
answers to questions about their public service.


It the obligation of the public to insist that they do.

Beth Everitt must resist any audit of any department in the APS

because all audits lead to Rome.

It is difficult to conduct an audit and keep the results secret.

Look at the effort Beth Everitt is expending to keep the results of the investigation into public corruption in the leadership of the APS PD.

Or the influence required to keep an the gradegate investigation by the NM PED from asking her even one question.

Never has Beth Everitt had to answer questions on the record, much less under oath.


..and it is only by her privilege that she does so.

is Teresa Cordova still calling the shots?

Else, why hasn't Beth Everitt revoked the apparently fraudulently obtained diploma?

Rio Grande Grade Change needs closer look

Although the story had been scooped by a blog.


The Journal editorial was breaking news in the printed media.

The editors said it straight out, and on the record.

Córdova went over her head, in fact, to plead her son's case directly to Everitt, Venegas and school board member Dolores Griego.
Adding to the perception of partiality, Venegas, Peck and three board members made campaign contributions to Córdova.

I hope that the news side of the Journal will be able to get APS School Board Member Delores Griego
to answer candidly, forthrightly, and on the record;
questions about her participation, as a public servant,
in the changing of the student's grade.

Perhaps before the board investigates the administration; board members will disclose, candidly and forthrightly, the facts of their knowledge of, and participation in, the grade change; within their capacities as public servants.

The need is rather immediate.

MacArthur Principal to retire

According to the Journal (in an older article, I can't link to the newest on page D1 of this morning's paper);

Principal Andy Barrett was reassigned during the district's administrative Chinese fire drill.

Apparently he will retire rather than take on an assignment where he doesn't think he can excell.

He has Multiple Sclerosis and cannot physically move around the larger campus of his new assignment.

I have listened to a number of parents who have spoken about Andy Barrett at a few public forums. My impression is that Andy Barrett may be one of the most highly respected and beloved school principals in the District. Maybe in the history of the district.

And the decision to reassign him will not be reconsidered with the input of stakeholders for only one reason;

the decision is indefensible. So it will be stonewalled.

They don't want to reconsider the screwing of Andy Barrett because, then they would have to reconsider a number of stakeholder screwings.

And then they would have to reconsider the senior administrative corruption and incompetence that enables the screwings.

an honor is worth exactly as much

as your estimation of the person who gives it to you.

I am honored by Natalie's endorsement of my efforts.

I would like to invite my readers' attention

to my other blog where I am trying to take a positive and proactive approach to solving problems in the APS; as opposed to this blog where the "wet work" of the reform of the APS, makes me seem like a nut.

I call it Eye on APS.

On a lighter side; when I googled "eye on aps" to see if I was encroaching on someone's copyright; I didn't find any blogs by that name, but I did find out that there are a lot of people quoted saying, we need to keep an eye on APS, and for a lot of different reasons.

Teresa Cordova's "no comment" on gradegate

as seen on KRQE.

If Teresa Cordova sent emails to Beth Everitt on company time; she abused her office.

If she was on company time at this "celebration of Isleta Blvd" she had the responsibility to stand and deliver answers to questions about her public service.

No comment is not an acceptable response from a public servant in response to a question about their public service.

The terms of public service are the prerogative of the public; not of the public servant.

"No comment" is not one of the terms of public service.

if the school board has to get a subpoena,

to get the truth out of Beth Everitt regarding gradegate and the corruption in the APS PD;

which Modrall lawyers will make more money;

the Modrall lawyers who will litigate in support of public knowledge of public records?

Or, the Modrall lawyers who will litigate to keep public records "confidential".


I guess if you are Modrall;


...who cares?

NM Educator Ethics Bureau Director Paul Calderon

was one of three people on the NM PED investigating team, who suggested that the matter should be referred to the the Educator Ethics Bureau for further consideration.

Paul Calderon helped to write that recommendation. He has a copy in his hand.

Isn't the matter already at the NM Educator Ethics Bureau?


He is stalling for time.

There is only one reason to stall.

What is your take on the Cordova Coach debacle?

asks a reader.

I would suggest an independent impartial investigation of the conduct of Commission Cordova; within her public service.

Being a bitchy parent at night; is marginally within her public service; perhaps only as a rolemodel for the community.

If that investigation proves that she has abused the trust of her constituents, she should be prosecuted under the law; and subjected to a recall by voters.

the Journal chose not to respond

to my email to them. I had pointed out that they had misreported a substantial fact in their story on the NM PED's report on grade gate.

Liar? ??

According to the report on KRQE, Elizabeth Everitt did not tell the truth about her contacts with Teresa Cordova, the county commisioner who (allegedly) used her privilege to change her son's grade.

KRQE has both; a copy(s) of emails from Cordova to Everitt; and a broadcast interview with Everitt where she claimed to have had no contact with Cordova.

By Everitt's own declaration; it is unlikely that the public will ever know the whole truth.

When challenged at a board meeting to accept responsibility for the gradegate scandal; the closest Everitt came to accepting her personal responsibility was to offer; "we" made some mistakes.



It is unreasonable to expect the superintendent to stand on the record and tell the whole truth?

it would cost APS somewhere between $.37 and $4.00

to simply hand me a copy of the report of the investigation of the APS police department by the Council of Great City Schools.

Instead, I am expected to make an appointment with Rigo Chavez so he can sit and watch me read it. And if I want a copy; I will be expected to pay somewhere around $20.00 for it. Rigo's time costs taxpayers something. I don't know what his salary is; but I would guess the former captain of Team Spin, makes three quarters of the salary of the new team captain; Monica Armenta. So, about $37.50 an hour. It will cost taxpayers about $40.00 to have a senior APS administrator watch me read and understand the 37 page document.


The public entrusts a great deal of their power and treasure to the stewardship of the leadership of the APS.

I submit that it is a betrayal of that trust;
to spend public funds to make it hard for the public
to inspect and/or copy, public records.

George McFall, of the Modrall law firm

is on the Cc. list for Rigo Chavez's denials of requests for public records. Sometimes the Cc. list simply says "Modrall Law Firm".

If the denials actually find their way to McFall's desk;
or some other lawyer at Modrall, and if they actually read them;

then tax dollars are apparently being spent against the public interest; and the public has reason to be upset with APS' stewardship of their tax dollars.


Requests for public records are being denied by Rigo Chavez, who represents the leadership of the APS as their Custodian for Public Records.

The leadership of the APS is denying the requests "...because they contain information that is either opinion or based on opinion."

The specific exception to the NMIPRA reads;

Letters or memorandums which are matters of opinion in personnel files or students’ cumulative files. (are excepted from surrender to public knowledge)

A commentary by the NMAG accompanies the law in this particular presentation.

"This exception is aimed at protecting documents in an agency’s personnel or student files that contain subjective rather than factual information about particular individuals."

"Requested public records containing information that is exempt and nonexempt from disclosure shall be separated by the custodian prior to inspection, and the nonexempt information shall be made available for inspection."

Apparently, public records are being withheld from public knowledge, by feigning abject ignorance of the law.

Which begs the question;

Why are taxpayers paying APS lawyers to read Rigo's denial letters, if they are too incompetent to recognize that the requirements of law are being ignored?

Or worse, why are taxpayers paying APS lawyers to review letters of denial, to make sure that the law can be ignored by the leadership of the APS, without consequence?

In either case, it is apparent that taxpayers are not getting much for the tax dollars which they entrust to the leadership of the APS, and which find their way to the coffers of the Modrall law firm.

CoGCS report on the APS PD released

So far, it has apparently been released only to
APS' own Community Safety Commission.

It is of course a public record, and must be surrendered to public knowledge.


It should be immediately posted on the District website in a user friendly format.

Any delay what so ever; is evidence that the report
is being kept from public knowledge, and for nefarious reasons.


It is reasonable to view this as a test of
the integrity of APS communications with stakeholders.

NMPED investigation; corrupt, incompetent, or both?

The results of the probe are furnished us courtesy of the Trib.

In the report, are listed, the individuals interviewed by the probers.

copied here, verbatim.

Nelinda Venegas, Associate Superintendent
Roberta Aragon, Rio Grande High School Secretary
Al Sanchez, Rio Grande High School Principal
Ben Santistevan, Rio Grande High School Assistant Principal
Anita Forte, 12th Grade English Teacher
Elsy Fierro, Rio Grande Cluster Leader/Director

Worth noting; those who were not interviewed.

Apparently neither parent was interviewed, no other teachers were interviewed, and Beth Everitt was not interviewed.

You have to wonder why?

Are the public servants who investigated this debacle so incompetent that it didn't occur to them to interview the three most important players?

Or are they so corrupt that they chose not to interview the three most important, and politically powerful players?

The investigators were:

Dr. Mary Rose Cde Baca, Assistant Secretary for Educator Quality
Mr. Paul Calderon, Director of the Ethics Bureau
Ms. Sheridan Bamman, Inspector General

Director Paul Calderon. I know him. I asked him once before to investigate an ethics complaint against Beth Everitt.

My personal opinion of him is that he is either corrupt;

or so incompetent as an investigator as to be
unable to find his own asshole,
with both hands and a flashlight.

Beth Everitt says that it is unlikely that we will ever know the whole truth.

duh.

coulda, woulda, shoulda

If you read the headline story in the Journal; you would conclude that the alleged ethical misconduct of a senior APS administrator was going to be referred to the NM Educators Ethics Bureau for (another?) investigation.

That is not a true statement. The truth is that the investigative team wrote, "the matter should be referred to the Educator Ethics Bureau of the Public Education Department for appropriate licensure action."

The Journal reported that the matter would be referred to the Educator Ethics Bureau.

There is a big difference between should and would.

Should is to talk;
as would is to walk.

If this is a deliberate effort to mislead the community; it is heinous.

It is consistent though, with their previous position, which was not to investigate or report upon public corruption and incompetence in the leadership of the APS.

How else can it be explained, the Journal readers don't know that the leadership of the APS is hiding the results of the impartial external investigation into corruption and felony criminal misconduct in the administration of the APS PD?

How else can it be explained that Journal readers don't know that, the refusal to surrender those public records is a deliberate and willful violation of the New Mexico Inspection of Public Records Act?

How else can it be explained that Journal readers don't know that,APS' exception to the requirements of the NMIPRA will be provided through lucrative litigation by lawyers from the school board president's husband's law firm?


How else can it be explained that Journal readers don't know that their taxdollars are being spent against the public interest?

the truth on the grade change; still missing.

The Journal has given the grade change an F, according to their headline story; a story which is the most comprehensive coverage to date.

But the real truth is still elusive; an exchange of emails between a County Commissioner and APS administrators is apparently missing some emails; according to a different Journal article.

One glaring flaw in the NM PED investigation is that it (deliberately?) did not include interviewing Beth Everitt.

According to the report (link to the Trib) from the NMPED, the following APS employees were interviewed:

• Nelinda Venegas, Associate Superintendent
• Roberta Aragon, Rio Grande High School Secretary
• Al Sanchez, Rio Grande High School Principal
• Ben Santistevan, Rio Grande High School Assistant Principal
• Anita Forte, 12th Grade English Teacher
• Elsy Fierro, Rio Grande Cluster Leader/Director

Conspicuous in her absence is Beth Everitt. Although she is clearly one of the players; she never had to answer a question "on the record"; she never answered a question under penalty of perjury;

...for a reason.

Elizabeth Everitt was not asked any questions at all about the scandal. Her actions, appropriate or no, were not examined. Readers may remember that this eventualilty was predicted before the investigation began. and here. and here, and here and here and here.


It is the conclusion of the investigative team that, based on the above, the matter should be referred to the Educator Ethics Bureau of the Public Education Department for appropriate licensure action.

To what end? certainly not the exposure of the truth.

Robert Lucero owes an apology

to RGHS teacher Anita Forte and RGHS principal
Al Sanchez, for a statement made during his remarks about the grade changing scandal at RGHS.

He said, "mistakes were made on both sides."

In truth, and according to the report from the NM PED; there were no mistakes made on the side of the teacher and the principal.

There were mistakes made by the administrative side.

To suggest at this point, that the blame be shared by the teacher and the principal is absolutely unjustified by evidence or testimony.

Mr. Lucero owes them an apology, and a retraction of his fraudulent allegation.

Monica Armenta has pocketed a cool $4,000 plus benefits

for her efforts as APS' Executive Director of Communications for the past two weeks.

She has not been doing much communicating however.

The truth about the gradegate has yet to be communicated;

and the truth about the corruption in the APS police department,

and the truth about the principal shuffle and the absolute disenfranchisement of stakeholders it manifest,

and the truth about the relationship between APS and the Modral law firm; and the efforts to except senior administrators from accountability to the law,

and the truth about Everitt's refusal to surrender public records; in apparent violation of the law,

and, we still don't know how much money was spent renovating the administrative complex at Uptown.

Since Armenta and Maes and Everitt are all so tight, I expect some renovation money has been found to spruce up Monica's new office as well.


Perhaps she has just been preoccupied with picking her window treatments for the last two weeks; and is just too busy to take a minute to communicate the truth about anything at all.

Update; I found out today (6/20) that Monica Armenta was in the hospital for a week. I now regret the tone of this article and offer my apology for the tone. I will stand by the allegation that questions have not been answered; and likely will not be answered.

understatement of the year

According to Susie Gran's article in the Trib; based on data compiled by APS' Risk Management Director Jim Dorn,

most personnel disputes with the district did not produce large settlements for the employees.

Most "disgruntled former employees" get nothing but the shaft.

The exceptions would be disputes with senior administrators. Michael Vigil left with $162,000. Brad Allison left with $350,000. Three former cabinet members left with $650,000 minus Modral's cut. A former director left with $200,000.

Gil Lovato will leave with a bootfull of cash as well.

When United Educators raised APS' insurance premiums; they argued that the increase was justified by APS' above average claims for litigation expenses;

litigation expenses "earned" for the most part by the Modral law firm; whose president is married to school board president Paula Maes.

They made a bunch of money; over $350,000 in just the 13 cases cited in Gran's article alone.

The total amount is so exorbitant; so indefensible, and so unjustifiable that it is;

"...confidential due to personnel protections."



the runner up, for understatement of the year.

APS Police Department likened to a hot potato

A Journal editorial likened the job of protecting students and schools, to a hot potato; the object being, don't get stuck holding it.

The editorial posited that the Albuquerque Police Department "can't" take over the APSPD because they are already stretched too thin. And that the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office doesn't "want" to take over the responsibility.

And that is where the analogy to the game of hot potato breaks down; the very first time that the leadership of the APS can get their hands on it; they will hang on for dear life.

Despite the fact that the Council of Great City Schools cited a lack of leadership, in the leadership of the APS, necessary to create, maintain, and oversee a professional, fully authorized police department.

Eventually, the leadership of the APS should field its own police force; for a number of sound and pragmatic reasons.

But first, there should be transparent accountability to a meaningful standard of conduct, built into the very foundation of the new police force.

It is not OK for Paula Maes' good friend Monica Armenta, to be hired to cover up the precipitating scandal in the administration of the APSPD; and by logical extension, the scandal in the entire leadership of the APS.

It is not OK for her to be trotted out to proclaim that "we have learned from mistakes", "we intend to build on our successes", and "we will continue to look forward", or anyone of the other Rigo-isms that are passed instead of telling the truth.


The leadership of the APS cannot be allowed to simply "start over" on the subject of their integrity, and their honesty, and their character.

In Particular, not while they are blatantly hiding evidence of their corruption and incompetence; not while they are hiding public records; and not while they are ignoring the law.


If George Washington had not begun by admitting that he had chopped down the cherry tree; the next words out of his mouth would have been just "talk".

George Washington first had to admit
that he had chopped down the cherry tree.


...speaking of role models.

the CoGCS review, in other words

What the Council of Great City Schools wrote;

"Based on their past performance, it is not apparent that the Board of Education and the district's executive leadership team would provide the executive leadership , support and backing, and make critical and difficult decisions that would be required to create a safety, security and professional , fully authorized law enforcement department."

What they meant;

Based on her record, it is not apparent that Beth Everitt can provide the administrative leadership, support, and critical decision making ability to create a full fledged law enforcement department.

Based on their record, it is not apparent that the Albuquerque Public Schools Board of Education can provide the executive leadership, support, and critical decision making ability to create a full fledged law enforcement department.

Why they wrote what they wrote;

Beth Everitt found herself with a public scandal in the leadership of her police department. Her response was to wait too long to begin an impartial investigation of the public corruption and incompetenc; and then to hide results of the investigation from stakeholders. She decided to keep them "confidential"; even in violation of the law.

And that, in the eyes of the Council of Great City Schools, is a record of an apparent lack of administrative leadership.

Why they wrote what the wrote;

The School Board has a Superintendent who is hiding the public record of felony criminal misconduct in the leadership of the APS. They have a Superintendent that intends to spend public money to pay the lawyers of the Modral law firm, to defeat the requirements of the Inspection of Public Records Act.

They will not talk about it on the record.

And that, in the eyes of the Council of Great City Schools, is a record of an apparent lack of executive leadership.

If a full fledged police force is determined to be the best option for keeping students and schools safe; the leadership of the APS is, by their own record, apparently incapable of providing the critically necessary effective leadership and oversight.

It is apparent that those conclusions of the CoGCS investigators are to be ignored; all of the options that include the supervision of a professional police force are still on the table. They will remain on the table despite the fact that the CoGCS investigators concluded that a professional police force cannot be administered or lead by the current leadership.

They are just going to pretend that the elephant in the room, isn't in the room.

Are we supposed to pretend that there are not systemic and institutional flaws yet to be addressed, yet to be admitted; that are interfering with the ability to protect 6,000 teachers and 89,000 of our sons and daughters?


Are these folks role models, or are they not? If they are role models; then they should be accountable to the standard of conduct that they are modeling. What standard of conduct allows you simply except yourself from the consequences of your misconduct and pretend that nothing is wrong.


All that the leadership of the APS is modeling before students is hypocrisy, dishonesty, and contempt for accountability; even to the standard of conduct to which they hold students accountable.

"APS Cops and Guns Top Forum Concerns"

was the title of an article by the Journal's Lloyd Jojola in the Journal this morning.

Saturday, at Del Norte High School, a community forum on campus security was held. Strong feelings permeated the discussion; the strongest feelings centered around arming the APS Police Force 24/7.

Although the topic of campus security is complex and far ranging; the hot button issue is undoubtedly, the presense of armed police officers on campus while students are present.

Passion can have a tendency to overtake reason in an argument. Take for instance the argument that, “...you can’t stop violence with violence.” However passionately Julian Moya, of the SouthWest Oganizing Project, believes that premise; however nice its "ring"; it is not supported by evidence.

In fact, in every case of which I am aware, the violence of school shootings was absolutely ended by violence; usually self inflicted, but violence never the less.

Further, there is no evidence that preparing for violence; begets violence. The contrary can be argued; that peace can sometimes be found through superior firepower.

Another argument, carried on a poster by one of a number of young people in attendance at the forum; proclaimed that arming police officers would “criminalize” students; another suggested that the arming of police officers would interfere with the education of students. Each argument draws support; but neither is substantiated by fact.

The point is that, this is not an issue that should be settled by the most emotional or passionate argument. It should be settled by calm and logical debate of possible solutions to a complex problem; only one aspect of which involves firearms.

Passion is good for attendance;
but not so good for the quality of the debate.

Recallmarty.blogspot.com/

There is a new blog called Recall Marty

There are a number of things that Martin Chavez does well.

There are things he doesn't do well. Among them I think; that he thinks, that he is privileged.

As a manifestation of that privilege; he sees himself beyond accountability for his conduct and competence as a public servant. He wields our power and resources as if they were his own; as if he can do what ever he wants; no matter what the public wants.

He has usurped control of public power and resources entrusted to the administration of city government.


There really is no way to reclaim control over power and resources that are fundamentally our own; except to take it back.


If that means recalling a mayor just to prove a point; then so be it.


This is not about where people can smoke.

communication

According to the student standard of conduct;
first source. derived

Students in the APS are taught the following
about communication:

There is no more fundamental ethical value than honesty. Honesty is associated with people of honor, and we admire and rely on those who are honest.

Honesty in communications is expressing the truth as best we know it; and not conveying it in a way likely to mislead or deceive.

Truthfulness is presenting the facts to the best of our knowledge.

Sincerity is genuineness, being without trickery or duplicity. It precludes all acts, including half-truths, out-of-context statements, and even silence, that are intended to create beliefs or leave impressions that are untrue or misleading.

In relationships involving legitimate expectations of trust, honesty may also require candor, forthrightness and frankness, imposing the obligation to volunteer information that another person needs to know.

Simply refraining from deception is not enough.

...Ms. Armenta

either

Monica Armenta was hired to tell the truth,
or
Monica Armenta was hired to "spin" the truth;


at the salary equivalent of three or four new teachers.



Stonewalling is neither truth telling nor spin;
it is simply dishonest;

at least according to the standard of conduct
to which students are held accountable.

Darren White's retraction is in order

In a Journal article this morning, White is quoted as saying the following on the subject of the APS police department's record.

"APS does a fantastic job. Don't throw out this entire agency just because you had a rough time with one of your administrators."

The statement is either naive or deliberately misleading. In either case, it needs retraction.

The record of the APS police department is not "fantastic"; not by any ethical measure. The word fantastic cannot be used in an honest description of the record of misuse and abuse of the APS praetorian guard, by the leadership of the APS.

For Darren White to "testify", on his honor, that the corruption and incompetence is limited to one man, is also either naive, or deliberately misleading and dishonest.

In an organization with real and transparent accountability to meaningful standards of conduct and competence; there is no corruption and there is no incompetence. It is possible to make it impossibly difficult to hide corruption and incompetence.

APS is not an organization with real transparent accountability; it is quite the opposite.

In an organization that tolerates incompetence and corruption; everyone is significantly corrupt and incompetent. There is at the very least, guilty knowledge of corruption and incompetence in the leadership of the APS.

If the corruption and incompetence were limited to one man; they would not be hiding the public record of investigations of the entire APSPD; and by logical extension, the entire leadership of the APS.

Darren White is the subject of a complaint filed with the Office of the New Mexico Attorney General; Gary King.

Darren White will not surrender the public record of criminal misuse of government computers by the leadership of the APS.

And now he is in the Journal "testifying"; on his honor, attaching not only his own reputation, but the reputation of the Bernalillo County Sherirff's Office, to the promise that everything else in the leadership of the APS, except Gil Lovato, is squeaky clean.

Nothing to hide except the public record.
His public record.
And the public record of the Leadership of the APS.


"APS does a fantastic job." ? ??

Take it back, Darren White.



I can see why the leadership of the APS was keen on his participation in the review of their own "alleged" misconduct and incompetence, in the administration of the public interests in the APS.

APS' news release on the Community Safety Commission (quoted in significant part)

The Albuquerque Public Schools Community Safety Commission met for the first time today to discuss the district’s safety issues.

“This commission will review the recommendations from the Council of the Great City Schools and will make their own recommendation to my team and the APS Board of Education by the end of the fall,” said APS Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Everitt.

The Council of Great City Schools brought a team of senior managers with extensive experience in safety, security and police operations in other major city school systems from across the country to review the APS Police Department at the end of May.

Today the executive summary from the team was presented to APS with their initial and preliminary proposals.

The Council of Great City Schools is recommending that the district consider contracting out its law-enforcement responsibilities, but maintains school safety and security functions in-house. The recommendation includes conducting a national search to retain a department manager and put policies in place that will ensure that the district has the capacity to oversee and manage the contracted law enforcement services.

“These recommendations have been given to the Community Safety Commission, and they will take this into consideration before giving us their final recommendations,” Everitt added.

“These recommendations are just that. I am glad we have members from a great cross section of the community who will give valuable input into long-term changes in the APS Police Department.”

The Council of Great City Schools also came up with the two other scenarios, one that would recommend that the district create a fully authorized law enforcement department. This recommendation would include creating operating procedures and directives that would authorize the arming of APS Police.

The third scenario would be to contract out all safety, security and law enforcement functions. The team did not recommend this because it would result in very limited personnel management responsibilities.

“We need to ensure that each and every one of our schools are safe, and any changes that will be made will take that into account,” Everitt said.

Missing from the news release was the following recommendation made by the CoGCS;

Conduct a national search to retain a Chief of Police who can reconstitute the APSPD with unquestioned integrity and ethical behavior ..."

Still the leadership of the APS will not divulge or discuss the unethical behavior and lack of integrity in the leadership of the APSPD; and by logical extension in the entire administration of the APS.

And readers are gently reminded; there is only one reason to hide the truth.

Ouch - from the CoGCS review of the APSPD

"Based on their past performance, it is not apparent that the Board of Education and the district's executive leadership team would provide the executive leadership , support and backing, and make critical and difficult decisions that would be required to create a safety, security and professional , fully authorized law enforcement department."

There is hard evidence and testimony that substantiates their concern. Both are being hidden from public knowedge by Beth Everitt.

The only reason to hide the truth;
is if you are damned by the truth.

NMIPRA request for APSPD review records

To: Custodian of Public Records, Albuquerque Public Schools

From: Charles MacQuigg

This constitutes a request for the final report to the superintendent; by that or any other name; written by the Council of Great City Schools' on their review of the APSPD.

If you would please, acknowledge that you have received this request and that it meets your needs.

Ched MacQuigg

Everitt pushes back the deadline for APSPD; and seeks to hide the whole truth from stakeholders

For as long as there has been discussion of reforming the APS Police Department; Beth Everitt has committed to having the problem resolved by the beginning of school.

Apparently, without note or explanation, the deadline has been pushed back to "the end of the fall". If that phrase means, to end of the fall semester, that would be December.

Still another problem has cropped up; apparently Beth Everitt intends not to release the findings of the review team.

She intends to release only the executive summary, which includes none of the findings of the review team; and none of the information necessary to determine who was responsible for the debacle in the APS Police Department.

A public records request has been filed for the "Report to the Superintendent" which has all the information that she is trying to hide.


...for whatever good that will do.

Jim Villanucci and Richard Eeds said;

that they have been trying to get the leadership of the APS to show up on their show and "chat".

They said that APS said, not likely.


If Monica Armenta isn't the person who is going to tell the truth;

... then she is the person who was hired to hide it.

Disappointed, I am;

that there isn't more upset about the apparent red light camera scam.

By way of background;

If you vary the amount of time that the yellow traffic signal is lit; you carry vary the number of citations that can be issued at the intersection, for running red lights.

The shorter the yellow light; the more citations.

There are safety implications; the shorter the yellow light; the more traffic accidents there will be.

Apparently, the actual timing of the yellow lights at traffic camera intersections was deliberately set at an interval that maximized citations and minimized public safety.

When called on it, by Jim Villinucci, they lied to his face; and they lied into the ears of every radio listener. And then then went out and changed the timing on all the lights. And then they got back on Villanucci's show and lied about having done that, too.

I feel comfortable using the words lied, lied, lied, and lied; based on the testimony which I have heard from every single caller, but one. And he was the guy to lied to us all the day before.

I cannot personally prove that they lied; but I very, very much believe that they did.


... and I don't understand why more people aren't pissed off.

Comment on a comment

my response to a reader's comment on Learning from Charter Schools.

First, my appreciation for your kind attention to my blog.


You are absolutely right. Parental involvement is probably the most influential factor in charter school success. But it is not an aspect that we can bring to public education.

However important is parental involvement; it is the aspect of the dynamic over which we have the least influence.

No cause is more hopeless than an effort to make parents care more about their kids; or to meaningfully mitigate the awful circumstances of a child's life outside of school.

While many argue that schools shouldn't be parenting; the only other option is that no one will.

Any plan predicated on fixing the home life of children, or on increasing parental involvement, in order to educate kids, is inherently doomed by our inability to influence their home life or the involvement of their parents.

We need to play the cards we've been dealt;
even if it means having to substitute something else
in place of parental involvement.

Principals as administrators and master educators

(I admit to not having paid enough attention in history classes; but) I believe that historically, educators became educational administrators based on their documented success as educators. There was very little administering to do;a few buckets of coal, some chalk, some slate,
and a paddle.

Today, educational administrator and master teacher are vastly different and unrelated skill sets.

Philosophically, the leadership of the APS is still in the last century. They still think they can assign an administrative master educator to a failing school and fix it.

There is no such thing as an administrative master educator. If there were, they would be well paid;
and there would be no failing schools.

The educational expertise is in classrooms.

There is no administrator; there is no group of administrators, who have better ideas than the 6,000 teachers we have in classrooms.

What idea has Beth Everitt thought of, that has not already been thought of by a teacher in a classroom somewhere in the APS?

The only thing that stopped the teacher from implementing it; was the lack of decision making power and the resources necessary to make it work.

If you get past the delusion that there are administrative master educators; then it becomes possible to focus on hiring educational administrators who can administer the public trust and treasure effectively and efficiently.

And then it becomes possible to deliver decision making power and resources to the place where they are needed; the educational interface, the classrooms.

Which is a good as it will ever get.

Arbitration will be conducted in secret.

The gradegate grievance is going to arbitration.

The leadership of the APS is a stakeholder in that arbitration; the teacher is a stakeholder; and everyone else whose interests are affected by the outcome of the arbitration, is a stakeholder.

Beth Everitt has reasons to arbitrate off the public record (is that even legal?).

Perhaps the teachers union has reasons to arbitrate in secret as well.

Are any of their reasons overriding?

Are they so important that they trump the rights of stakeholders to participate meaningfully in decisions that affect them; even if that meaningful participation amounts to sitting, and watching, and listening?

I for one, doubt it.

I have attempted to verify my allegation and have been told by a source which I believe is reliable; that there is no compelling statute or regulation that requires grievance hearings to be conducted in secret. It is apparently by mutual agreement between the leadership of the APS and the union, that legitimate stakeholders are prohibited from meaningful participation in that process.

"Let my public school students go"

Syndicated columnist Jonah Goldberg, in an op-ed piece (which I cannot find on the Journal online, and therefore cannot provide a link to) asks an interesting question.

What would be so terrible about government mandating every kid has to go to school, and providing subsidies and oversight when necessary, but then getting out of the way?



Government to include, the leadership of the APS.

Learning from Charter Schools

Part one of a Journal editorial two-parter suggests that we have something to learn from charter school successes.

There is some evidence that charter schools are doing better than public schools in meeting some objective goals.

From personal experience; I would suggest wariness about jumping on the existing charter school model bandwagon; and I am a supporter of charter schools. I have advocated allowing all schools to become charter schools in important aspects of their existence.

But it is a very complex dynamic. It would be a mistake to simply jump on the current charter school model and assume guaranteed success.

I would posit that the working component of charter schools, is autonomy; the movement toward site based management. While getting a few schools out from under the thumb of central office is a step in the right direction; it is only a step.

The schools that will succeed are the schools with real site based management; where every stakeholder feels fully involved and respected in the decision making process.

That goal does not require breaking from the APS in the sense that all of our charter schools have had to break so far; requiring new building space and a whole bunch of other unnecessary and punitive hurdles.

The leadership of the APS just needs to move real decision making power and resources down to schools as they are, and where they are.

Those are the aspects of charterdom that actually bear the fruit.

Those are the only circumstances that actually encourage the formation of synergies among students, parents, educators and administrators.

Social Services Plan for Schools can work

The Journal editors wrote a short piece, subscription required, about health centers, mentoring and "other basic services" being offered at two middle school sites.

What a great step forward.

I have written a couple of pieces on synergy at successful schools. An essential component of the synergy is the community, obviously. Anything that can be done to draw neighbors into the school, to make them a part of the school, and to begin to make them care personally about the success of their neighborhood school; will yield positive results.

It is a virtual certainty.

A tip of the hat to whomever actually set this all up.

the situation at Polk MS

I don't have any personal experience at Polk; or any other form of first hand knowledge.

The article in the Tribune gives me the impression that the school is divided.

A school divided, will fail; absolutely.

The inherent flaw in the district's position is their certainty that success revolves around their ability to appoint administrators who can fix failing schools.

If there was such thing as principals who could simply fix failing schools; they would make a lot more money; and there would be no failing schools.

Synergy is everything.

I would like to propose a novel approach to the problems at Polk.

Declare all positions vacant.

Restaff the school will people who want to become a part of a synergy at Polk Middle School. Offer stipends if that is what it takes.

Give them extraordinary decision making power by a process that guarantees stakeholders meaningful participation in decisions that affect them. ...or site based decision making.

Give them extraordinary financial support.

Bring the PTR under control. Give every teacher an aide. Assign a lot of competent campus aides.

See what happens.


I think that what you see,
won't surprise you;

...not really.

It would help if

the regular readers of this blog
helped to increase its readership.

Journal editors confuse APS' open meetings with accountability

Re: this morning's Journal editorial; subscription required.

The policy committee of the APS school board has unanimously recommended that audit committee and executive committee meetings be opened to other board members and the public.

While this is an important step; and long overdue; it is little more than the public recognition of an important principle. The overall effect on transparency and accountability in the APS is immeasurably small; there is no real difference.

If the leadership of the APS was truly transparent; and if the leadership of the APS was really willing to be held accountable for their conduct and competence as public servants;

an honest accounting of the spending in the renovation of the Uptown Administrative Complex would be made public.

It will not. Neither will the public record of gradegate, the principal shuffle, or the scandal in the APS Police Department.

The leadership of the APS can cite no real evidence that they are either transparent or accountable in the administration of the public trust and treasure in the APS.

There is a world of difference between a few open meetings, and open records.

For as long as the leadership of the APS is denying access to public records; no claim can be made of real transparency or accountability.

Neither the Journal nor the Trib has reported that public records are being hidden from public knowledge despite numerous legitimate requests for those public records.


The editors of the Journal have either been duped themselves; or they are complicit in the duping of the community about transparent accountability in the APS.


Neither of which inspires any real confidence in the Journal.

Monica Armenta's grade

In the Tribune tonight, Gene Grant's commentary was upon APS' hiring of Monica Armenta as APS' new communications chief.

According to Grant, Armenta has her work cut out for her because of at least four plates spinning atop wobbly sticks in Rigo Chavez's hands; the APSPD scandal, gradegate, the principal shuffle; and renovations in the Uptown Administrative Complex.

Grant was perplexed by APS' insistence that Armenta was hired to focus inward on the APS. Grant then quotes former APS superintendent and public relations expert Tom Garrity saying that he too was perplexed by the use of Armenta for internal communications when her real value was having "...more influence with parents and the community than anyone else at APS."

None of the problems that Grant thinks Armenta was hired to deal with; are internal communication issues; not the scandal in the police department, not gradegate, not the principal shuffle, and not indiscriminate spending at Uptown Centre.

These four issues are communications problems with the community;

the area where Armenta has the most to offer; coincidentally.

The leadership of the APS simply will not admit that they've really hired Armenta to spin the community on these issues. So they're pretending she's there to fix "internal communications".

APS' curve blew by Grant so fast he still hasn't figured out what happened.

In fairness, Garrity, still close with the leadership of the APS, was there to drag the red herring of the "supposedly" unexplainable course of action; for Grant to follow.

Doug Turner, owner of a local public affairs firm apparently wanted to know if Armenta would be able to get everyone in the APS to talk as positively about the APS as its leadership does; like that's the problem.

I challenge anyone to find even a couple of teachers who think that teaching in the APS sucks, because there isn't better communication with the leadership.

Grant said Turner said, "You need to have people who are not afraid to tell the truth and people who are not afraid to hear it."

He is of course absolutely right.

I personally made Monica Armenta aware of the ethics and accountability scandal in the leadership of the APS. So far she has said nothing on the record.

I believe her hiring has a lot more to do with the fact that she has said nothing; than it has to do with the likelihood that she will tell the truth;
to anyone.

Grant quotes Tom Garrity saying; "What it comes down to is that organizations will never be saved by a PR professional if that's their only course of action." and, "Good policy encourages good public relations."

Is there a change of people or a change of policy?

Test question: Ms. Armenta, will you tell the truth about why the leadership of the APS removed the following language from their own code of conduct?

In no case shall the standard of conduct for an adult be lower than the standard of conduct for students.

APS' new roofing manager

APS has colossal roofing problems.

Their solution is to create a new administrative slot (at the cost of three or four new teachers) in charge of roofing.

Apparently there is no current administrative slot to be held accountable for the current mess on APS' roof tops.

If, after some time, it appears that a competent roofing administrator has solved the problems; it is fair to wonder why no one thought of this particular solution sooner.

It's not exactly rocket science.



Is the M&O a department that Beth Everitt will conduct an audit upon? Or will she continue to pretend that all of the public corruption and criminal conspiracy in the leadership of the APS was confined to the administration of its praetorian guard?

By what logic, are number of APS administrative departments in need of audit;

but not every administrative department in the APS is in need of an audit?



There is only one reason to oppose a full scale (forensic) audit of the administration of the APS;


...to cover people's asses.

Something is fishy; NMIPRA request

To: Custodian of Public Records, Albuquerque Public Schools

From: Charles MacQuigg

This constitutes a request for the opportunity to inspect and/or copy all communications between the APS and the NMAGO regarding the IPRA and OMA training that was scheduled for the board on June 13, 2007.


As the custodian of public records, if you would please, acknowledge that you have received this request and that it meets your needs.

Ched MacQuigg

cc. NMAGO
NMFOG

Dear Mr. Attorney General

I must once again ask for your personal assistance in the situation of APS' failure to comply with the NMIPRA.

As you know, the leadership of the APS is the subject of a NMIPRA complaint filed with your office.

The leadership of the APS as offered as their excuse for refusing to comply with the requirements of the NMIPRA; feigned abject ignorance of the law.

That ignorance will be cleared, on the day that the NMAGO provides NMIPRA training for the leadership of the APS.

Apparently a training scheduled for the 13th of this month was cancelled. APS says it was cancelled by your office. APS now intends to put off the training until the fall. They have also implied that the delay is being caused by your office.

I am requesting that you act personally to ensure that your office will train the leadership of the APS at the earliest opportunity; and deny the leadership of the APS the opportunity to continue to evade accountability to the law by blaming your office for failing to offer timely training opportunities.

How many APS Communication Directors does it take to screw in a light bulb?

There is the equivalent of about a dozen new teachers salaries tied up staffing the APS Communications Department.

To what end? Not one of them will sit down and answer legitimate questions on the record.

In fact, there is no person in the entire leadership of the APS who will simply answer questions by telling the truth.

1. Why is the whole truth about the spending in the renovation of the uptown administrative complex still secret?
2. Why is the whole truth about the public corruption and criminal conspiracy in APS Police Department administration still secret?
3. Why is the whole truth about the gradegate scandal still secret?
4. Why are the results of previous audits of the leadership of the APS kept secret?
5. Why is the leadership of the APS disobeying the requirements of the NMIPRA? Are they spending tax dollars against the public interest by hiring the Modral law firm to defeat the NMIPRA in court?
6. Why are the senior role models in the APS, not accountable to the student standard of conduct as role models?
7. Who is responsible for broadcasting dishonestly edited versions of board meetings, to the community on as many as a dozen occasions?
8. Why is the public no longer allowed to petition their government on the record, at a public forum?
9. Why did the board abolish Citizen Advisory Groups and provide no alternative?
10. Why is the administration of the public power and resources in the APS, not transparent?
11. Why will the leadership of the APS not surrender the record of their relationship with the Modral law firm?
12. Why are students district wide routinely allowed to ignore schools rules; why is prohibited behavior permitted by the administration whose responsibility it is to enforce discipline policies?
13. Why won't the District fix its website and make it a useful research tool?
14. Why won't anyone in the District simply sit and answer stake holder's questions until they are all asked and answered?


It would only take one communication director to answer these questions and others.


Clearly it takes many more than one to

not answer questions.

Will Monica Armenta walk her talk?

According to an APS news release; Ms Armenta said;

"I see my new position as a chance to build on the strengths of the APS Communications Office and to work on improving any weaknesses."

The number one weakness of the APS Communications Department is that they don't tell the truth.

"She added that her first priority will be to develop a new strategic communications plan for the district."

Her first priority should be to begin to repair the District's image; by telling the truth. She should get her whole team together and have and town meeting and start telling the truth.

If she does anything else instead;
then her first and only real priority is
to cover the asses of the leadership of the APS;
and give them a real good shine.



And $105K; or three teacher salaries, are being totally wasted; by corrupt and incompetent leadership in the APS.

NMIPRA training shelved until next fall

Here's why.

The leadership of the APS is currently hiding the results of the independent investigation of the APS Police Department.

Despite the fact that the results are public records; the leadership is pretending that they enjoy an exception to the law based on legal weaselry and an invention of their own called; "confidential due to personnel protections."

Their pretend boggle over the requirements of the NMIPRA will end on the day of the training.

At that point the leadership of the APS would have to surrender public records of public corruption and criminal conspiracy in the leadership of the APS. The information would also end up in the hands of the DA; who has so far been denied access to those records as well.


You can see why the corrupt and incompetent in the leadership of the APS would want to put the training off until fall;

of the year 2050.

Research, Development, and Accountability

On another blog;
I Spy Albuquerque Public Schools Education there is a report on and a link to a survey of teachers done by the teachers union.

If anyone in the leadership of the APS really wanted to be held accountable for the plight of teachers; there would be a similar survey and results in the archives of the RDA.

There isn't; ...of course.


And of course, I will bow to controverting fact;
and eat a bug if there is.

George Washington

did not come by accident to the conviction
of accountability to a higher standard of conduct.

He learned it from someone's personal example.

The very first rule must be;

There is no self exception from the rules.

If students are to learn that there is no self exception to the rules; self exception cannot be modeled before them. Because they will do as we do; and not as we say.

The student who watches the teacher's self exception; will learn self exception.

The teacher who watches the principal will learn it.

The principal that watches senior administrators; and senior administrators who watch the board will learn it.



Leadership is by personal example. Character is taught by modeling. Character is taught only by modeling.

If this community really in fact; wants 89,000 of their sons and daughters to learn courage and character and honor at school;

the community must insist that members of the school board hold themselves honestly accountable to a meaningful standard of conduct.

Only by doing that do they have the moral authority to demand the same from their superintendent; and she from senior administrators; and they from principals; and they from teachers; and they from students.

When educators have the moral authority to demand from students, honest accountability a meaningful standard of conduct;

student behavior will change.

And teachers will have the opportunity to
start teaching again.

communication is worthless

if it is not honest communication.

According to the student standard of conduct,

Honesty

There is no more fundamental ethical value than honesty. We associate honesty with people of honor, and we admire and rely on those who are honest. But honesty is a broader concept than many may realize. It involves both communications and conduct.

Honesty in communications is expressing the truth as best we know it and not conveying it in a way likely to mislead or deceive. There are three dimensions:

Truthfulness. Truthfulness is presenting the facts to the best of our knowledge. Intent is the crucial distinction between truthfulness and truth itself. Being wrong is not the same thing as lying, although honest mistakes can still damage trust insofar as they may show sloppy judgment.

Sincerity. Sincerity is genuineness, being without trickery or duplicity. It precludes all acts, including half-truths, out-of-context statements, and even silence, that are intended to create beliefs or leave impressions that are untrue or misleading.

Candor. In relationships involving legitimate expectations of trust, honesty may also require candor, forthrightness and frankness, imposing the obligation to volunteer information that another person needs to know.

If the person with which you want to communicate; will not agree to communicate honestly; what is the point of communicating?

The leadership of the APS refuses to be held honestly accountable to any standard of conduct that requires them to communicate honestly.

What is the point of any communication with the leadership of the APS?

What is it that you expect to gain from the communication?

Do you expect them to communicate honestly
about their historic refusal to communicate honestly?

CoGCS audit results

Now that the review of the APSPD by the Council of Great City Schools is complete; a report is being written.

According to the Tribune, "Everitt said the council report will go to the special committee, then to her, and then she will select the best reform option and present that to the (board)..."

The report is a public record.

When the leadership of the APS receives the report they will keep it secret. They will release only what they are compelled to release.

That is their record.




The complete results of the CoGCS review should be posted on the APS website on the day they are received by the leadership of the APS.


If they are not; it is for a nefarious reason.

admitting responsiblity is not the same as being held accountable

According to the Trib, Beth Everitt admits that she had heard rumors of trouble with the APS police department; but that she had never received formal, whistle-blowing complaints.

In other words; no one can prove that she ignored corruption and incompetence in the leadership of the APS.

We can only intuit then, that in truth; she should have known; she should have acted.

There are only two reasons not to have acted; corruption and/or incompetence.

There is corruption and incompetence; and then there is corruption and incompetence.

Failing to act on “rumors” because there are no “formal” complaints; is incompetence at least, and corruption at worst.

She claims not to know the outcome of a sex discrimination lawsuit filed against APS and Gil Lovato last November.

Under these circumstances; that is simply unbelievable; and incompetent and/or corrupt.

Hiding the results of the impartial investigation of public corruption and criminal conspiracy in the APSPD; is corruption.

Paying Modral lawyers to litigate against public interest in defeating the NMIPRA; is a corrupt use of the power and resources that have been entrusted to the leadership of the APS.

Beth Everitt’s opposition to an impartial audit of her administration serves no interests except her own; her own and the interests of those whose records can not stand an audit.



This is the face of corruption.

We would like to schedule an appointment, please

Ms. Armenta,

I would like to schedule an hour of your time for the following purpose;

You will sit at a table; in a place and at a time that is convenient for stakeholders, and answer questions from the audience.


If this is acceptable; please inform stakeholders of your intentions, and make the appropriate arrangements at your earliest possible convenience.




right

and a pint of Häagen-Dazs serves four.

it will cost taxpayers $52.50 an hour

to talk to Monica Armenta in her new position with the APS.

If we could get her to sit down for an hour and actually answer questions honestly, candidly, and forthrightly; about anything the public wanted to know; it would be the best $52.50 we had ever spent.


It is really too bad that, it isn't in her job description.

Nor is it within the job description of anyone, apparently,

in the leadership of the APS.

APS' semisecret police

Part of the rift between Gil Lovato and the leadership of the APS, according to the Journal and Sam Bregman, has to do with Lovato's complaint the the leadership of the APS has been using private investigators as a semisecret police force.

The proof of that allegation; one way or the other;
exists in the form of public records.

A request has be been made for the opportunity to inspect and or copy those records.

The request will be denied.

The denial will be justified by means of legal weaslry.

Although the litigation is against the public interests;
it will be paid for by taxpayers.

in plain view

of the Journal and the Trib;

and pretty much everybody else; apparently.

Monica Armenta fills new post

Despite the fact that the school board has said that they did not want a superintendent level public relations person; Beth Everitt has hired one anyway. Everitt claims that money for the six figure salary already exists in the budget; in addition to the salaries of three full time spin doctors already on the payroll.

I can help but think that good news has a way of traveling all by itself; and if the District wanted to improve its image; little would go further than changing the manner in which they currently do business (and screw things up in the process).

Although Armenta said she will focus initially on internal communications; the first time her name appeared in the paper was as the APS spokesperson saying that, Cynthia West, implicated in the APSPD scandal is not slated for firing.

Rigo Chavez was recently promoted by the leadership of APS; presumably because he was do his job well.

So why are taxpayers now paying the salary of another administrator; joining the team as Chavez's superior?

As the head of the APS Foundation; Armenta was made aware of the ethics and accountability scandal in the leadership. If asked, she cannot deny it.

Now, she is directly on the taxpayers dime.

It is her job to make sure that taxpayers never find out how much of their money is being wasted by incompetence and corruption in the APS.

It is her job to cover up the ethics and accountability scandal.



simple proof otherwise;

Ms. Armenta, for the record and on the record,
produce, explain and defend the "official" position of the leadership of the APS; on an immediate (forensic) audit of the entire administration of the public trust and treasure in the APS.


or not.

request for public records

To: Custodian of Public Records, Albuquerque Public Schools

From: Charles MacQuigg,

This constitutes a request for all documents, papers, letters, books, maps, tapes, photographs, recordings and other materials, regardless of physical form or characteristics, that are used, created, received, maintained or held by or on behalf of any APS and relate to public business, whether or not the records are required by law to be created or maintained and excluding any records whose request is prohibited by any agreement between myself and APS.

I request the opportunity to inspect and or copy the final reports on the investigations conducted by Robert Caswell Investigations on behalf of the APS.

You are reminded that these are public records and enjoy no exception because they may contain letters or memorandums of opinion; which you are charged by law with separating and redacting.

You are reminded that there is no exception to the law for records which you describe as "confidential for personnel protections".

cc. NMAGO
NMFOG

Cynthia West will testify for APS against Lovato

It turns out that she was a victim
of the man she was working under;
Gil Lovato.

And she will testify against him in court.

I guess that is why she is still employed by the APS;

despite a number of reasons that
she should not still be on the public payroll.



Submitted as proof that the leadership of the APS will trade public resources in their own self interest;

and against public interest.

the results of investigations of criminal misconduct

What do we do with them?

If you are the leadership of the APS; you keep them to yourself.

According to the Journal, the leadership of the APS has been using private investigators to look into allegations of criminal misconduct.

There were as many as 300 investigations whose results were turned over to the leadership of the APS. Before Lovato was the subject of the investigations; the results of the investigations were turned over to Gil Lovato and APS PD;

and he pasted them together into
the mother of all body maps.


Art Melendres said, according to the Journal, "he and Superintendent Everitt are "rightly" concerned..."