Meeting at the Inn of the Mountain Gods

It is hard to tell from the agenda that is posted on the APS website; but it seems like the board is having a meeting to discuss the process by which they will select the new superintendent.

Strategic Planning Session Meeting
Tuesday, July 24, 2007 9:00 AM
Inn of the Mountain Gods - Mescalero BR-B

I. Review purpose, desired state and desired outcome

II. First steps in search process
A. Drivers and Barriers
B. Priorities

III. Next steps in search process
A. Brainstorm
B. Action plan

IV. Action Planning for Handbook
A. Next Steps
B. Review of Policies to Include
C. Deadline for Input
D. Legal Review
E. Policy Committee Review and Consideration of Approval

V. Plus / Delta for Session

It is/was a secret meeting in at least two respects;

I can't seem to find out who went, who paid for the trip, and, if public funds were involved, how much was spent.

Further it is/was a secret meeting in that, stakeholders cannot really be expected to go to Ruidoso to attend the meeting, and were therefore effectively deprived of their right to participate even by their attendance.

Technically, in a loopholey, legal weasely way, the Open Meetings Act has not been violated because the agenda and location were published consistent with the "legal" requirements of the OMA.

From an ethical point of view they had a meeting from which stakeholders were deliberately and effectively excluded.

I would be surprised to find an incontrovertible record of the meeting.


Just for the record, their conduct violates the comparitively meaningless and completely unenforceable standard of conduct that they just adopted for themselves.

• rule number one; make the education and well-being of students the basis for all decision making.
• rule four; establish an open, two-way communication process with students, staff, families and all segments of the community.
• rule six; accept responsibility and accountability for one's own actions and behaviors.
  

How does meeting in private and depriving stakeholders of their rights; yet one more time;

• advance the education and well being of students?,
• establish open communication with any one?, or,
  
• constitute acceptance of responsibility and accountability for the positions each advocated during the day?

...shame, shame, shame.