School Board candidate promises to be an inconspicuous role model

which is of course, utterly oxymoronic.  Except among those in hiding, there is no such thing as an inconspicuous role model.

Sitting and listening

School Board Member Lorenzo Garcia spoke before an Albuquerque tea party forum last night.

He made mention of the need for a forum where we can have the hard to have conversations.  An example of which might be; a conversation (open and honest two-way communication) between the leadership of the APS and the community members they serve

• regarding their abdication from their obligations as the senior most role models of APS' student standards of conduct; the Pillars of Character Counts!.  Or,
• about the findings of at least three investigations of felony criminal misconduct involving senior APS administrators, or 
• about the denial of due process to hundreds of whistleblower complaints, or 
• about their abusive misuse of their publicly funded private police force.

This isn't the first time Garcia has acknowledged that there is no venue in the entire administration of the APS, where stakeholders can ask questions about the public interests and their public service, and receive a candid, forthright and honest response; be told the ethically redacted truth.

In so far as he has spoken the truth aloud, he is a role model for students, staff and community.  There is not one other board member who has admitted that APS offers no venue where citizens can speak truth to power, no place where they can speak freely and petition their government for redress of any of their several grievances.

A better role model would be fighting for such a venue.

The Citizens Advisory Council on Communication came to Garcia's Community and District Relations Committee with an offer to establish open and honest two-way communication between the leadership of the APS and the community members they served.

Character Counts? not anymore

He acquiesced to likes of
former Character Counts!
Leadership Council
President Paula Maes.

The subject of establishing
any such venue has not
come up in Garcia's agenda
again.  

There is no indication that it ever will.

no way, no role modeling clause

Just like reinstating the role modeling clause in board members code of conduct, is never going to come up in the coward David Peercy's Policy and Instruction Committee.


I'm sure Garcia has his reasons for blowing off the CACoC petition for standing.  But the fact is, he has done nothing else instead.  He won't put "venue for hard to have conversations" on his own agenda.

Two times last night, he pointed to the ongoing need for open and honest two-way communication between the school system and the community.  And two times, he pointed to his own failure to effect any change.  He admits to being "sitting and listening" kind of a guy.  Which is fine, unless what you really need is a warrior kind of a guy - someone who will do more to right the wrong, than point at it.

There are board members and senior administrators whose interests are served by stifling open and honest public discussion of the truth.  They are not going to simply accept honest accountability for their conduct and competence, because Garcia is sitting and listening and watching them.

"All that is necessary for evil to prevail in the world,
is for good men to do nothing."  Edmond Burke

All that is necessary for there to never be, open and honest
two-way communication between the leadership of the APS and
the community members they serve, is for good board members
to do nothing, nothing except sit and listen.





photos Mark Bralley