Sure to irk.

The budget that goes before the board for approval tonight
is sure to irk some. Most irksome, is likely to be the
unwillingness of the leadership of the APS share in the belt
tightening. According to Schoellkopf's report in the Journal,
link;

"Overall, administration spending is down 1.8 percent,
though Superintendent Winston Brooks had ordered
(other) departments to cut 10 percent for next year."

Many believe that the APS is top heavy with administrators.
That impression seems to be corroborated by the leadership's
steadfast refusal to allow an impartial audit of the entire
leadership of the APS.

The irk will be blunted by APS Community Relations
Department. The department of spin, is set to see a 54%
increase in spending, and points to APS' real priority;
spinning the truth.

The brunt of the increase is supposed to be spent fixing
APS' world class crappy website.

"APS Communications Director Monica Armenta said
the $300,000 increase in her budget will pay for a new
$180,000 district Web site and three employees to
manage, design and write it.

"We have an antiquated Web site that does not allow us
to make access to changes as it currently is," Armenta
said, adding it "should've been overhauled about 10 years ago.""

APS has not, and will not, name the name of the senior
administrator most responsible for the decade long website
debacle, including a website that "does not allow us to make
access to changes ...", whatever in the hell that means.

I assume that because she will be supervising three more
employees, Monica Armenta will be getting a raise;
while everyone else tightens their belt another notch,

I would not be surprised to find that she has already gotten her raise.


The assumption is based on
the fact that when she was asked
her current salary, a matter of
public record, she refused to
answer the question;

usually a bad sign when is comes
to the administration of the APS,
and the squandering of our trust
and treasure.




photo Mark Bralley