Meeting with Winston Brooks a disappointment.

I had a meeting with APS Superintendent Winston Brooks, a week ago Monday. The premise of the meeting was to discuss the issues that I bring to the board, in a less confrontational setting.

I came prepared;

• a copy of the Aspen Declaration, link,
• a copy of the Pillars of Character Counts!, link,
• a copy of the school board resolution adopting the Character Counts! as the model for character education in the APS, and
• a copy of the APS Student Behavior Handbook page showing, "... students are required to model and promote the Pillars of Character Counts!

I brought a copy of the role modeling clause that was removed from the employee standards of conduct. It read;

In no case, shall the standards of conduct for an adult
be lower than the standards of conduct for a student.

Though my ducks were in a row, Brooks still will not concede that adults in the APS have an obligation as role models, and that obligation includes honest accountability to the same standards that they establish and enforce upon students, even for the few hours a day that they expect students to hold themselves accountable to those standards.

Brooks argued, as an example of his position that "standards" for adults and children are not the same, that APS provides a place for adults to smoke, but provides no such place for students.

I argued that he was talking about adult privileges and student privileges, which can be different; not about "standards of conduct" which must be the same.

I argued that administrators cannot be held accountable for their conduct and competence except under systems which can be gamed by administrators, in particular powerful administrators. I pointed out that my complaints against him and Director of Internal Audit Margret Koshmider, did not see due process.

His defense was to a list of those he has held accountable.

The argument is specious. That "many" have been held accountable is not proof that "all" can be held accountable.
He cannot be held accountable.

My last point was, if there is to be real and honest accountability to any standards of conduct, a place must be created where a complaint can be filed, and the complaint will see due process, even against the will of the person about whom the complaint has been filed, even against the superintendent himself.

The bottom line; Brooks is unwilling to concede that he, as the senior most administrative role model of the APS Student Standards of Conduct, is actually accountable to those same standards. Nor could I get him to concede,there is a need for him to create the opportunity for complaints that are made against him, are afforded due process.


In other words, business as usual.




photo Mark Bralley