School Board Meeting this evening, 5pm.

I will be there to protest the lowering of the APS Student Standards of Conduct.

There is a direct correlation between student conduct and
student achievement.

If we want to increase student achievement, test scores,
attendance, graduation rates, ..., then we have to be able to
make students behave at school.

No one learns while classes are being disrupted.

Currently, students in the APS are "... expected to model and
promote the Pillars of Character Counts! ..."

If there were real allegiance to this nationally recognized,
accepted and respected code of ethics, things would be far
different in APS classrooms. There would be less disruption,
less vandalism, less bullying, less tardiness and truancy,
fewer teachers burning out, and fewer students dropping out.
Test scores and graduation rates would climb.

The leadership of the APS has an inescapable obligation as
role models of the student standards of conduct , what ever
they are.

They are unwilling to hold themselves honestly accountable
to any higher standard of conduct than the law; the lowest
standard of acceptable conduct.

Therefore, they are moving to lower the student standards
of conduct to standards low enough that they will finally
step up as role models.

They are doing it in secret from stakeholders.

There will be no open and honest discussion of student
standards. There will be no open and honest discussion
of administrative and executive role modeling.

Although responsibility is shared by everyone in "leadership",
the greatest shame must fall upon the senior most role models.

In the administrative branch,
that would be APS Superintendent, Winston Brooks.









In the executive branch,
that would be School Board President, Marty Esquivel.









Neither of whom can summon the character and the courage to step up to accountability as a role model of the Pillars of Character Counts!, link.

Neither of whom can summon the character and the courage even, to discuss openly and honestly, student standards or, their obligations as role models.



photos Mark Bralley