APS Wastes Millions on Computers Systems That Don't Work

But it isn't the computers that don't work,
and it isn't the software.

From the audit by the Council of the Great City Schools;

"APS Administrative evaluations are subjective and unrelated to promotion or step placement."

In other words,

the administrators who have cost taxpayers
tens of millions of dollars in directly wasted costs,

are good ol' boys who know squat about computers,
software, and vendor relationships.

They are being paid three teacher salaries a year, or more
to be club members first,
and if they are experts at anything at all,
it is only a fortuitous coincidence.

According to the article in the Journal ( link sub req)
these problems have been going on for years.

According to Karen Alarid,
who oversees the district's construction projects.

"There is no way to actually track our budgets."

"Approximately three years into the new master plan,
there's no more ability to create a report or
reconciliation on the projects."

"It's a serious problem."

"To me, it's a huge blunder that was missed ages ago."
according to Zane Myers, a member of capital advisory committee that consults with APS.

Brad Winter, APS Facilities Director, said one of the goals was to make the construction process more transparent.

During the last board election, when complaints of the lack of transparency in the APS, were being heard, Winter had promised new transparency in the District.

Now he admits "key data" are not even available to
APS administrators and board members,
much less to stakeholders.

Brad Winter has been asked to provide a candid, forthright,
and honest accounting of the squandering of the public trust
and treasure at 6400 Uptown Blvd.

and he will not.

I had presumed he was covering up for Beth Everitt et al.
but now it appears that
he couldn't tell the truth even if he wanted to.


Stakeholders are to take comfort from APS' next
Superintendent, Linda Sink who assures tax payers;

"I think there is a light at the end of the tunnel" .

There is no light at the end of the tunnel of course.


If there were, it would be the headlight of a train called
"the City of the first annual
APS Administrative Accountability Audit


A train which APS School Board Members;
Paula Maes,
Berna Facio,
Delores Griego,
Robert Lucero,
Gordon Rowe,
Mary Lee Martin,
and Marty Esquivel

are determined to watch pass by
the leadership of the APS without stopping.


Perhaps if a few hundred people would show up
at the train station at 6400 Uptown Blvd,
next Wednesday, 2/20/08, at 4:45 pm.

and stood together on the platform (of the public forum)

to protest the board's lack of character and courage;

the train just might make a stop.


Despite the efforts of the leadership of the APS, Modrall,
and the media;

Thomas Lang, Kent Walz, Phill Casaus,
Michelle Donaldson, Sue Stephens,
and Thomas Pearl.