Friday, January 30, 2009

OK, but where can I file a complaint?

Winston Brooks seems to be backing off on his my way or
the highway problem solving approach to the problems at
Rio Grande High School and Ernie Pyle Middle School.

He was on the news last night. I can't find a link.

He was listening to parents and community members from
the two schools.

APS is great at listening. The leadership of the APS has
discovered that if they make a big deal out of listening to folks,
they can be mollified to the point where a solution is no longer
a specific demand.

The parents at RGHS and EPMS were listened to.
Many left the meeting believing that they were heard.
Nothing will change.


On the other hand, if the leadership of the APS provided a venue
where a complaint could be lodged, and then guaranteed a
principled resolution, real progress would be made.

School board candidates fielded questions the other night,
about what they would do with many specific problems
in the APS; problems like ongoing racism in the APS.

They all offered to listen to the complainants.

None offered them a place where they could lodge a complaint
alleging racism, where the complaint would be guaranteed a
principled resolution; fair, impartial, and consistent with
agreed upon principles.

In fact, there is no such place in the APS.

They pretend; their Public Forum is such a place.
They pretend; their Employee Grievance Process is such a place.
They pretend; their APS Police Department is such a place.
They pretend; their Equal Employment Opportunity Office
is such a place.
They pretend; their SilentWhistle is such a place.


They lie.

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