I wish I had a picture of Ed Briggs.

He is the Principal at Grant Middle School.
I have known and respected him for almost three decades.

When he walked through the board room, I leaned over to
the person next to me, and said, that guy is probably the
best principal in the APS.

Then came the Public Forum, and my biweekly reminder that
stakeholders still don't know the truth;
there is not a single administrator or board member in the
entire leadership of the APS, who is willing to stand up to
honest accountability as a role model of
the Student Standards of Conduct.

Then came Matters of Information, and
Winston Brooks turn to speak.

He began by freely admitting that I was starting to piss him off.

And then he had occasion to recognize Ed Briggs.

He gave Ed some well earned praise and then said something
about what a shame it was that, I didn't think Ed was
a good role model.

He did it to draw attention from his own shame.

I have never said, written, or suggested, ever, that there were
no "good" role models in the APS.

Winston Brooks is a "good" role model. He just isn't a
role model of the Student Standards of Conduct.

The obvious truth is that there are a number of "good" role
models in the leadership of the APS.

What there isn't, in the leadership of the APS, are
any role models of the Student Standards of Conduct.

Students are expected to hold themselves honestly accountable
to a specific set of standards, called,
the Pillars of Character Counts!

There is only one way to role model honest accountability to
the Pillars of Character Counts!; and that is,
hold yourself honestly accountable to
the Pillars of Character Counts!

Being a "good" role model is not the same thing as being
a role model of the Pillars of Character Counts!

Being a "positive" role model is not the same thing as being
a role model of the Pillars of Character Counts!

Being a role model of "the highest standards of conduct",
is not the same thing as being a role model of
the Pillars of Character Counts!


Honest accountability to the Pillars of Character Counts!;
is what it takes to be a role model of
the Pillars of Character Counts!

There is no equivalent gesture.

Someone has to show students and staff, what it looks like to
to be honestly accountable to a higher standard of conduct.


Ed Briggs is retiring this week.

He is one of a kind.

I never asked him personally and specifically if he would
stand up as a role model of
the Pillars of Character Counts!


I should have. He probably would have said, yes.