APS to rework district goals

APS' Board of Education is working on reducing the number of
District Goals. It currently has 8.

The wordy version lies on APS' award winning website, link.
A Cliff's Notes version was provided by the Journal, link:

1. Improve academics, as measured by math and reading scores, the size of the achievement gap, graduation rates and truancy rates.
2. Build public confidence in APS through relationships with parents, business leaders and other community members.
3. Develop a comprehensive internal and external communication plan.
4. Establish training for school board members.
5. Review and improve plans for building and maintaining facilities.
6. Develop a transparent, sound and effective financial management plan.
7. Transition APS from a site-based to district-based management structure.
8. Develop and improve crisis and safety plans for schools.

APS Supt Winston Brooks wants to reduce goals to three.
According to the Journal

Brooks, at a Monday meeting, suggested narrowing the
goals from eight to three. He said a smaller number
might be easier for the public to remember and support.

APS interest holders are apparently too thick headed to
comprehend and remember 8 goals.

Board Member Marty Esquivel, according to the Journal,
suggested that picking an arbitrary number like three, was
a poor way to start a discussion of what the goals really need
to be.

Brooks pointed out that some of the goals have been achieved.
He has managed to complete his goal to put an end to years of
efforts to empower teachers, by ending site-based management.

Teachers, who between them have nearly 100,000 years of
teaching experience in the APS, have lost what ever seat they
had, in the decision making process in the APS.

Goal 3; establishing two-way communication with interest
holders has not been reached. Despite spending nearly a
million operational dollars a year on Monica Armenta and the
APS Communications Department, Brooks has failed miserably
in creating the two way communications goal set in Goal 3 and
in School Board Policy, District Administrative Procedural
Directives, and the Board's own Code of Ethics.

Brooks suggests therefore, striking it and replacing it with
"building community relationships".

Brooks intends to report on the District's progress with
respect to the 8 Goals at a meeting on August 10th (this
might be an error, the board's first and third Wednesday
rule would suggest meetings on the 3rd and 20th).

At that meeting, the schedule for community meetings will
be determined.