Friday, February 15, 2013

Had George Washington denied the allegation

When young George Washington was asked

"Do you know who killed that beautiful little cherry tree yonder in the garden? "
he owned up.  At least according to fable and Parson Weems, wikilink, he admitted
"I cannot tell a lie, I did it with my little hatchet".
He didn't know, when he accepted accountability for his conduct, that he would become a role model for entire generations of American children, of character and courage and honor.

Students in public schools are entitled to good role models;
not just adults reciting timeworn fables.  Character is taught by example, character is taught only by example.  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, by means of their own personal example.

Especially at school.

If you asked any school board member or senior administrator anywhere, if good role models are important in the overall development of students, you will hear a resounding yes, a resounding hell yes!

If you ask them if they will model honest accountability to the same standards of conduct they establish and enforce upon students, you will see a stampede for the door.  Try it.  Ask any APS board member or senior administrator if they have any intention of being held honestly accountable to any higher standard of conduct higher than the law; specifically any standard of conduct that;
"... precludes all acts, including half-truths, out-of-context statements, and even silence, that are intended to create beliefs or leave impressions that are untrue or misleading."
Truth telling.

Albuquerque Public Schools has some highfalutin standards of conduct for students to model and promote.  In the APS, they happen to be the Pillars of Character Counts!; a nationally recognized, accepted and respected code of ethical conduct. link.

Yet the leadership of the APS model accountability only to the law; the lowest standards of conduct acceptable to civilized human beings.  They are immunized from accountability even to those by their free use of unlimited budgets for litigation, unscrupulous lawyers and legal weaselry.

I would hope that most school districts have codes of conduct for adults that include a role modeling clause.  APS board members and senior administrators used to have one in their standards.  It read;
In no case shall the standards of conduct for an adult,
be lower than the standards of conduct for students.
There are those in the leadership of the APS, who believe that having removed the role modeling clause, they have removed from their shoulders, the burdens and obligations of being role models of accountability to the standards of conduct they establish and enforce upon students.

When School Board Member Marty Esquivel had me arrested during the November 4th, 2009 school board meeting, he was the President of the School Board.  He was the senior-most role model of APS' student standards of conduct; the was the senior-most role model of the Pillars of Character Counts!.  He was bound to model and promote the Pillars of Character Counts!; the same standards they established and enforce upon students.

He is still.  Whether he will admit to them, his obligations as a role model persist, even if the role modeling clause does not.  He has an obligation to show students what it looks like to respond to legitimate questions, candidly, forthrightly and honestly.

I have alleged;
(my) outspoken behavior and unrelenting scrutiny has angered the Defendants (Esquivel in particular).  As a result, Defendants have taken various steps, ..., to silence (me) by restricting (my) access to the Board's public meetings ...
Defendant Esquivel;
... denies the allegations ...
And now the evidence;


Is School Board enforcer Esquivel angry because I am outspoken and unrelenting?  He denies it.

And who ya gonna believe? Marty Esquivel, or your lying eyes.

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