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.