Input of police sought, input of teachers not so much

 In the Journal this morning, link, we find that the Albuquerque Police Officers Association intends to survey union members on the state of their department.

Except for the fact that they're ignoring equally valuable input from union non-members, it's a great step forward in data gathering.  I have long wondered why our respect for the intellect, education, training and experience of police officers never extended to their opinions on the problems in their profession and department.

I have wondered longer, why the intellect, education, training and experience of teachers has never been tapped.  There are nearly 100,000 years of teaching experience in the Albuquerque Public Schools, and they have never been asked, by means of a survey, for their opinions on the problems in their profession and in the APS.

  “No one has ever spoken up about what the officers think,” said Albuquerque Police Officers’ Association President Greg Weber.  We are waiting still, for Albuquerque Teachers Federation President Ellen Bernstein to point out that, no one has ever spoken up about what teachers think.

The survey results will be compiled by an outside consultant and will be made public "in some fashion"; ominous words if ever there were.

City employees were recently surveyed as part of the Matrix investigation of city government, link.  The data were produced "in some fashion"; summaries as opposed to raw data.  An interesting finding; nearly half, 44%, of police department employees disagree with the statement;

 I feel supported by the managers in my department.

Considering that nearly 42% of all survey respondents were "managers or supervisors" likely satisfied with the support they offer subordinates, statistics like this are highly telling and critically important to study.

APS teachers will likely never be surveyed.  The leadership of the APS regards with fear and loathing, data gathering with regard to administrative performance.  As but one example, consider the data on student discipline, chronically disruptive students, bullying and criminal activity on campus.  There is none presented, likely there is none gathered.  Student discipline or the lack of it, chronically disruptive students, bullying and criminal activity on campus are administrative responsibilities.

They get away with it because the establishment's media steadfastly refuses to investigate and report upon the wide spread and deeply rooted cover up of administrative and executive corruption and incompetence.