Editors call for school audits; just not at the APS

Journal editors are pleased as punch, link, that NM PED Secretary Designate Hanna Skandera investigated New Mexico School Districts, looking for irregularities in reporting that gave some districts money they didn't deserve at the expense of districts who submitted accurate reports.

The word audit means different things in different contexts.
In this context it means an outside independent investigation.

Independent investigations are important because internal
investigations are by nature corrupted by personal and
institutional loyalties. And let's face it, they are sometimes
corrupted by people covering up their own incompetence and
corruption.

The editors concluded;

"It’s important that New Mexico’s parents, taxpayers,
educators and students finally know what they are
getting for their money — almost half the state’s $5.6
billion budget every year. This audit is at least a place
to start."

The pearl in their conclusion, this audit is only a start.
The implication; there need to be more independent audits.

It defies reason that agencies of government be allowed to
self-audit. It provides temptation to not audit at all, to forge
or fudge audit results or, as in the case of the APS, to hide the
results. APS has not posted on their website, the results of
even one audit, and for good reason; audits of the APS find the
same lack of standards and accountability over and over and
over again. They have no choice but to hide the findings.

Of what use are audit findings to stakeholders,
if they are hidden from them?

Of what use is the Journal to the community,
if they give their (tacit) approval to the hiding?

If the Journal had any real interest in improving the APS,
they would demand more independent audits. Of course,
if they had any real interest in improving the APS, they
would also be investigating and reporting upon;

• the cover up of the Caswell Report on corruption in the APS Police Department,
• the denial of due process to hundreds of whistle blower complaints,
• the abdication of the entire leadership of the APS as role models of the student standards of conduct, and
• the overall lack of standards and accountability in the leadership of the APS.

Kent Walz and the Journal are in bed with the leadership of the
APS; part and parcel to the ongoing cover up of the ethics and
accountability scandal at 6400 Uptown Blvd.

It's just that simple.