Brooks clueless about Character Counts!

Again, this is neither the time nor the venue to discuss the propriety of the Pillars of Character Counts! as student standards of conduct.  The simple fact is; the Pillars are the student standards of conduct of record, and have been since 1994.  They will continue to be until the board rescinds or amends the resolution by which they adopted the Pillars of Character Counts! as APS student standards of conduct.

As far as school board policy is concerned, the Pillars were the adult standards as well, until they struck the language that read;

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

Since, students have been expected to hold themselves accountable to a nationally recognized, accepted and respected code of ethics, and adults have been accountable, in their estimation not mine, only to the law.  The law is the standard that every "higher standard" is higher than.

Current School Board Policy is expressed in the APS Student Behavior Handbook, link. The board approves the language in the handbook every year.

Students are expected to;

model and promote the pillars of CHARACTER COUNTS! (Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring, and Citizenship

The administration is charged with administering school board policy.  APS Supt Winston Brooks is the senior-most administrative role model of the standards they establish and enforce upon students.

If we really want students to grow into adults who embrace trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship; someone has to show them what they look like.  The Superintendent has to show them what it looks like; it is his job more than it is the job of anyone else in his entire administration.

Winston Brooks doesn't even know the Pillars are called "Pillars".  He thinks they are points, or something, of character.

Brooks as senior-most role model of the Pillars of Character Counts!, should at least know what they are called.  Most students, who don't know nearly enough, know more about Character Counts! than Winston Brooks.

If he ever gets around to reading them, link, he will find such as;

Ethical people show Responsibility by being accountable, and
responsible leaders, lead by example.

By personal example.

How does the senior-most role model of the Pillars of Character Counts!  "model and promote" them?

Forget for the moment, "promoting" the Pillars.
How does one "model" the Pillars?

One models the Pillars by holding them self honestly accountable to them.

Brooks is not modeling accountability to the Pillars.
He will not model accountability.
He will not hold himself accountable, honestly accountable,
to the Pillars of Character Counts!  He can't even name them!

If there is any other way at all, that he can satisfy his obligations as a role model of accountability, than to actually model accountability, I cannot imagine it.  And he is yet to articulate it.

Honest accountability means due process for every complaint.
If you really want to end misconduct, all you have to do is provide due process for every complaint, including real protection for whistle blowers.

Honest accountability means a process free of the appearances of conflicts of interest and impropriety.  It means a process beyond the undue influence of even the most powerful respondent.  It means a process powerful enough to hold even the most powerful accountable, even against their will.

It is possible.  A man earning a quarter of a million dollars a year, ought to be able to figure out a way to protect the people's power and resources from incompetence and corruption.

Even if it is only to provide an independent determination of the facts, a truth telling that becomes the property of the complainant and of the people.

The ethics and accountability
scandal in the leadership of the APS
continues to be kept secret from
stakeholders, by people like
Albuquerque Journal Managing
Editor Kent Walz.




photos Mark Bralley