APS and "unethical" behavior

The changes in whistleblower policy, link and link, that are being considered by the school board, use the word "unethical" specifically, as in;

The Board of Education shall not permit unlawful or
unethical behavior by district employees.

... including Supt Winston Brooks.

Questions are begged. What does unethical mean?
It means, failing to meet ethical standards of conduct.

What are ethical standards of conduct?

There are two standards of conduct in the APS; one applies to students and the other to senior administrators and board members.

The one, is a nationally recognized, accepted and respected code of ethical conduct. Whether those standards should or should not apply to students; whether those standards are the "right" standards is moot; it is school board policy, link.

The other standards, the ones that apply to board members and senior administrators, is the lowest of the lowest standards of conduct; whatever legal loopholes, technicalities and legal weaselry will allow. Whether that is right is moot; it is the school board's evident intention.

I offer;

It is manifestly unethical for the leadership of the APS to refuse to hold itself honestly accountable to standards of ethical conduct; in particular because they hold students accountable to standards of ethical conduct.

The leadership of the APS does not want to be held accountable to the Pillars of Character Counts! They have gone so far in their effort to evade accountability as to remove the role modeling clause from their own standards of conduct; the one that used to read;

In no case shall the standards of conduct for adults,
be lower than the standards of conduct for students.

There are two reasons that senior administrators and board members will not hold themselves honestly accountable to the Pillars of Character Counts!. There are only two reasons. The reasons are abhorrent. They are especially abhorrent in the senior-most role models of the standards they establish and enforce upon students.

I have asked, and asked, and asked; I have even offered a cash reward to anyone who can offer a third reason that adults will not step up as role models of accountability, honest accountability, to meaningful standards of conduct and competence.

If we really want students to grow into adults who embrace
character and courage and honor, someone has to show them
what it looks like. The school board and senior leadership
need to show them what it looks like.

Role modeling is a conspicuous activity.
"Inconspicuous role modeling" is oxymoronic.
If students, staff and community can't see it, it isn't happening.
If they cannot point to it, it doesn't exist.

APS Supt Winston Brooks is not a conspicuous role model of accountability to the Pillars of Character Counts! Nor is School Board enforcer Marty Esquivel. Nor is the senior-most executive role model of the APS Student Standards of Conduct Paula Maes.

Ergo; they are behaving unethically.
They are modeling the very behavior they say they shall not permit!

... for either one or both of two reasons;

1. they haven't the courage and/or
2. they haven't the character
   

to hold themselves honestly accountable to standards of ethical conduct.

The same two reasons that keep the Journal and NM Broadcasters Assoc members from investigating and reporting upon the ethics and accountability scandal in the leadership of the APS.




photo and frame grab Mark Bralley