Three separate incidents point to discipline issues in the APS.

There are three incidents reported in the Journal this morning;
one at Rio Grande High School, one at Volcano Vista High School, and one at Atrisco Heritage. That the three incidents happened in valley and west side schools is inconsequential; it could happen as easily at any APS high school.

Stakeholders have very little idea what the truth is about student discipline in APS schools. A recent Journal article pointed to the fact that APS crime statistics were no longer being reported.

Previously, an audit by the Council of the Great City Schools reported that APS administrators routinely falsified data in order to make their schools look good.

Former APS senior administrator Tom Savage once stated in a meeting;

"If I told the truth about what is going on in my school,
the realtors in my neighborhood would have my neck."

The leadership of the APS steadfastly refuses to formally gather data on student discipline. Their Director of Research, Development and Accountability, Tom Genne, admitted to me, the district has never formally surveyed teachers, asking them what problems they face, and what they need to succeed.

Teachers have never been asked to qualify or quantify the problem posed my chronically disruptive students and student misconduct in general.

The need to hide the truth stems from the fact, these problems fall squarely on the shoulders of the leadership of the APS. They have the power, the resources, the authority, and the responsibility to address the issues surrounding student discipline and chronically disruptive students; teachers do not.

The record of the leadership of the APS in addressing discipline issues, is one of abject failure, and is why they do so little data gathering; they simply do not want to document their failure.

If they were actually accountable to the same standards of conduct as students, they would be required to tell the truth to stakeholders, about student discipline problems; their depth, their breadth, and their effect on students and staff, and their opportunities to succeed.

Their steadfast refusal to even discuss these issues openly and honestly, should serve as proof of their unwillingness to tell stakeholders the truth about anything, especially those things that make them look like they're not doing their jobs; chronic disruption, bullying, tardiness, truancy, school violence, drugs and drug use on campus, and on, and on, and on.

There is no legitimate agenda in the APS that does not move forward when student discipline issues are discussed openly and honestly with stakeholders.

If you ask someone if they will tell you the truth, and
they will not answer, it means no.