Administrators Conference on Education

Every year APS administrators get together for the ACE. This year the conference is being held in town, and that's all APS will say about it, link.

A little digging, link, reveals a cost to taxpayers for ACEs of between $100-600K. It was listed as a potential cost saving measure which was apparently not applied.

The conference has a bad reputation; one year they held the conference at the Inn of the Mountain Gods, link. It was underwritten in part by APS vendors. One vendor, Pepsi, got the exclusive contract for the entire APS. Another vendor, one of APS' roofing contractors. It was also underwritten by the APS Foundation; though if you looked at the list they gave to donors, of things they underwrite, ACE conference sponsorship was not admitted.

When I asked APS Executive Director of Communications Monica Armenta if donors had to disclose whether or not they are APS vendors, APS Spokesperson Monica Armenta wrote;"no disclosure is needed on our part. Private businesses can donate what they’d like to anyone they care to support"

When asked why the conference was held in relative secret, she offered; "No public statement is needed. This is professional development."

Unless of course your it is your job top make public statements and you're being paid $107K a year plus benefits to do it. If there is honest professional development going on, why would she hide it under her hat?

In my experience, the only reason to hide the truth, is if it makes you look bad.





photo Mark Bralley