Winston Brooks chooses to not answer.

I had eye contact with APS' Superintendent Winston Brooks. He at least can summon the courage to look up from his laptop during the public forum.

As I looked into his eyes, I said that I expected a candid, forthright and honest answer to one question;
what is the APS Student Standard of Conduct?

He chose to not answer.

I was asking a question to which, I know the answer.

The APS Student Behavior Handbook reads;

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

The Pillars of Character Counts! have been the APS Student Standards of Conduct since 1994. link.

According to the student standards of conduct,
(quoted in significant part, emphasis added);

Honesty

There is no more fundamental ethical value than honesty. We associate honesty with people of honor, and we admire and rely on those who are honest.

Honesty in communications is expressing the truth as best we know it and not conveying it in a way likely to mislead or deceive.

Truthfulness is presenting the facts to the best of our knowledge.

Sincerity is genuineness, being without trickery or duplicity. It precludes all acts, including half-truths, out-of-context statements, and even silence, that are intended to create beliefs or leave impressions that are untrue or misleading.

In relationships involving legitimate expectations of trust, honesty may also require candor, forthrightness and frankness, imposing the obligation to volunteer information that another person needs to know.

Winston Brooks, asked, what is the
APS Student Standard of Conduct,
chooses to not respond candidly, forthrightly, and honestly.









As does School Board President Marty Esquivel when asked the same question.









Board Member David Robbins was the only board member to respond to the question. He said that the Pillars of Character Counts! as the student standards of conduct, has "our" support. He then added, he thinks it would be "micromanagement" for the board to interfere on the subject of the district wide policy on students standards of conduct; not realizing apparently, that writing district wide policy is the board's specific and explicit, responsibility and obligation. Not realizing apparently, that the current student standards of conduct are in fact, the result of a school board decision.

Robbins' disregard for school board policy is further manifest in his decision to deny whistle blower complaints the due process that they are guaranteed by school board policy. The policy requires that his Audit Committee review and approve of every single whistle blower complaint, and is yet to review and approve even one, link.

Robbins defends his refusal as "not violating the law". The APS Student Standards of Conduct express a different perspective;

people of character are required to do more than
the law requires and less than the law allows.

The Albuquerque Journal was present at the Public Forum, heard the question, saw the refusal to answer, and found the whole issue not newsworthy.


Four people came up to me last night and expressed their appreciation for what I am doing at the Public Forum.

I thank them for their support.




photos Mark Bralley