The Pillars of Character Counts!; an unabashed defense.

Because APS School Board Policy reads; students are expected to model and promote the Pillars of Character Counts!, the Pillars, link, are the de facto student standards of conduct.

It doesn't make any difference whether the Pillars are the best standards, or even good standards of conduct. The board picked them; they are the standards.

It really doesn't make any difference why the School Board unanimously adopted the Pillars as the student standards, only that they did. If they want not to be held accountable to them, board policy must be changed.

There is nothing they would like to do more, than strike from board policy, any reference to higher standards of conduct than the law.

The mention of "modeling and promoting the Pillars" appears in the APS Student Behavior Handbook, link, pg 3.

The leadership of the APS would very much like it to not be there. It is getting progressively difficult for them to deny their obligations as role models and consequent accountability to standards of conduct that require truth telling.

The Handbook is under revision. I suspect an attempt will be made to strike the reference to the Pillars of Character Counts! without anyone noticing. Just like when the board struck from their own code of conduct, the words that pointed to their obligations as role models;

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

without anyone noticing. My suspicions are based on the difficulty I am having getting information about the process and changes, from APS.

A discussion has to be had, and decisions need to be made;

1. what are the standards of conduct for students, and
2. what are the standards of conduct for adults?

Are administrators and board members actually accountable as role models even for the measly few hours a day they establish and enforce students?

If and when that discussion takes place, I will stand in unabashed defense of the Pillars of Character Counts! as the standards of conduct for students and adults in the APS.

The tug of war is between accountability to the law, or
accountability to higher standards of conduct than the law.

There is no standard of conduct higher than the law that does not require truth telling. It isn't about accountability to the Pillars specifically, it is about having to tell the truth; having to respond to legitimate questions candidly, forthrightly and honestly.

Something the leadership of the APS is loathe to do, and will obfuscate at every turn.