Where character counts, when an agenda item reads discussion/action, it means that stakeholders will participate meaningfully in the discussion of an issue and in deciding whether or not an action will be taken.
In the APS, discussion/action means that a very few administrators and board members will get together to discuss an issue and then take action; both, without any meaningful stakeholder participation.
Despite their often iterated claims of an interest in improving communication between the APS leadership and stakeholders; there is a discussion/action item on the agenda today, and the community knows nothing about it.
III. Code of Conduct for APS Employees (Discussion/Action)They have complied with the minimum requirements of open government laws by posting the agenda in a "public place" at least 24 hours before the meeting. Never mind that the "public place" isn't public at all. A half million dollar a year "communication" department, and the best they can do is an obscure post on an unusable website.
Consider please the following points having to do with the Code of Conduct for APS Employees, and what happens when the leadership of the APS gets together to discuss and take action on their accountability to any meaningful standard of conduct;
- Robert Lucero and the board disposed of a motion which would have required, as a matter of enforceable policy, that administrators and board members would have to answer legitimate questions (honestly).
- Mary Lee Martin disposed of a motion which would have held administrators and board members honestly accountable to the student standard of conduct.
- They created a whistle blower policy the deliberately denied protection to those who exposed administrative misconduct, unless the misconduct actually broke the law. They denied protection to those who expose ethical misconduct.
- They excepted themselves from any accountability to the student standard of conduct; they abdicated their responsibilities and obligations as role models for students.
- They removed the following statement from their own code of conduct; in no case shall the standard of conduct for an adult be lower than the standard for students.
- They then lowered their own standard of conduct; it no longer contains the word “ethical”.
- Robert Lucero and Modrall claim that the board is not accountable even to the lowered standard of conduct, because; they are not “really” employees.
- The board then adopted its own code of ethics. Compared to the student standard of conduct; the Pillars of Character Counts, the board standard is meaningless.
- Their new code of “ethics” does not include the word ethics, except in the title.
- By their own admission, the board’s new code of “ethics” is absolutely unenforceable.
- Robert Lucero offered that maybe the board could get the legislature to legislate a code of ethics that included "real" accountability.
- They have refused, with the exception of Mr. Marty Esquivel, to allow an independent audit of accountability in the administration of the APS.
- They spend a half a million dollars a year to spin the truth to stakeholders.
- They are hiding public records of felony criminal misconduct in the leadership of the APS.
- They are violating the spirit and intent of the Inspection of Public Records Act.
- They have removed the public forum from the public record.
- They pay their Board President Paula Maes/Modrall law firm millions of dollars a year to litigate exception to the law for the leadership of the APS.
They will not because they can not.
Where character counts; there are newspapers and news media who investigate and report upon the truth.
The leadership of the media know about each of the points listed above. They know them to be true. They have known, through at least three election cycles, and refused to inform stakeholder taxpayers and voters.
Where character counts; there are role models who will demonstrate before children, honor, and courage, and character.
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