Marty Esquivel says, it's not about Character Counts!

In the strictest sense, what APS School Board Member Marty Esquivel says is correct; it isn't about Character Counts! per se;  the Pillars of Character Counts! are only one of a number of higher standards of conduct than the law.

The real question is whether Esquivel intends to hold himself honestly accountable to any higher standards of conduct than the law, not just the Pillars of Character Counts!.  It seems unlikely given the enormous amount of money he and the board are spending to escape accountability even to the law.  It is only about Character Counts! because those are the standards unanimously approved by the school board every year in the APS Student Behavior Handbook.

That Esquivel and the board are so unwilling to even talk openly, honestly, and on the record about their standards of conduct and their accountability to them, is a tell*.
*a sign, a behavioral clue that reveals something one tries to hide

They wouldn't have to hide the truth
if the truth didn't need hiding.

The truth is;

the leadership of the APS is not honestly, actually accountable to even run of the mill standards.

Their usurped power and resources enable them escape honest accountability to any standards at all.

Else,

• they would point to their meaningful standards of conduct and competence, and

• they would point to the due process by which they are actually and honestly accountable to them.

Ethics, standards and accountability are important issues in the election of school board members and the appointment of a new superintendent.  They are the most important issues because they are the most fundamental issues.

If success is possible;
if we aren't trying to do a thing that can't be done,
then success depends solely upon;

• the standards of conduct and competence that apply to the people who are responsible for success, and upon

• their honest and actual accountability to those standards.
  because there isn't one whit of difference between the
  highest standards and the lowest, if there is honest, actual
  accountability to neither.

Ethics, standards and accountability are legitimate issues in the political discourse surrounding the election of school board members and their appointment of the next superintendent.  They are issues that deserve open and honest public discussion; two-way communication between the leadership of the APS and the community members they serve.

APS Ethics, Standards and Accountability will not see open and honest public discussion.

They will not because Marty Esquivel and board have something to hide; an allegation he and they could refute simply and in an instant by pointing to the due process that holds them actually and honestly accountable to meaningful standards of conduct and competence within their public service.

He cannot.  He would if he could.

This is about Character Counts! Board Member Esquivel.

• It is about Character Counts! because the Pillars of Character Counts!, link, are student standards of conduct and you will not even admit that you are a role model of student standards of conduct.

• It is about Character Counts! because you and the board have re-established those as the student standards of conduct every year since the board unanimously adopted them in 1994.

• It is about Character Counts! because you are among the seven senior-most role models of accountability to those standards.  Never mind that no other school board member or senior administrator is any more inclined than you, to step up as an honest to God role model of higher standards of conduct.

It takes character and courage to be held actually and honestly accountable to higher standards of conduct.  It takes more than re-telling a fable about a kid, a hatchet and a cherry tree to encourage students to grow into adults who embrace character and courage and honor.

Character is taught (only) by personal example.

Neither Esquivel, nor any other school board member, nor senior administrator has ever suggested any reason other than

their individual and collective lack of character
and courage

keeping them from stepping up as role models of standards of conduct that require candor, forthrightness and honesty.

As much as ethics, standards and accountability in the APS should be on the table for open and honest discussion, they will not, because Esquivel and the board own the allegiance of the media; an allegation that could could be refuted simply by any one of them; the Journal, KRQE, KOAT, KOB TV, or the Duke City Fix.  All they have to do is just;

1.  point to any investigation and report any one of them has done on ethics, standards and accountability in the APS or,

2.  offering some good and ethical reason why they have not.

Instead, the questions of ethics, standards and accountability are stonewalled.

Stonewalling is explicitly prohibited by the standards of conduct they establish and enforce upon students which preclude the use of;

"... half-truths, out-of-context statements, and even silence, ... intended to create beliefs or leave impressions that are untrue or misleading". (emphasis added)

I would offer that it is fair to say;

• anyone who won't talk about role modeling has no intention of standing up as one, and

• anyone who is unwilling to step up as an honest to God role model of accountability to student standards of conduct has no business being on the school board, in the administration, or for that matter, in the classroom.

If;

• we concede that we need role models of accountability to student standards of conduct if we expect students to hold themselves accountable to them, and

• there are no adults willing to role model honest accountability to higher standards of conduct, and,

• we recognize that we must finally end the hypocrisy of two standards of conduct in the APS; a nationally recognized, accepted and respected code of ethical conduct for students and the lowest possible standards for board members and senior administrators;

we must lower student standards of conduct.

We have to lower student standards of conduct to a point low enough that adult role models are comfortable being held honestly and actually accountable to them.

That discussion is newsworthy.  That discussion needs to be held in time to sort school board candidates into one of two piles;

1.  those who will step up as role models of APS student standards of conduct however high and,

2.  those who will not.

In the APS School Board Election, District 4,

• I am a candidate who will step up without hesitation, and

• Defendant Marty Esquivel is a candidate who will not.

Charles "ched" MacQuigg

Honest accountability for everybody, including school board members and superintendents, to meaningful standards of conduct and competence within their public service,

Candid, forthright and honest accounting of the spending of
the power and resources that the people entrust to the stewardship of leadership of the APS.  Transparency limited only by the law.

Meaningful participation by interest and stakeholders, in decision making that affects their interests.






photos Mark Bralley