APS Supt hiring process begins with a bump

APS School Board Member Peggy Muller-Aragon threw a wrench in the works this morning when she fought against moving into secret to select the new superintendent.  Ultimately, the board voted to stifle her objection by "calling the question" while she had the floor and was still talking.

Robert Aragon and Peggy
Aragon-Muller at filing

The board pretends to be governed during their meetings by Robert's Rules of Order.  Muller-Aragon's husband Robert Aragon, who served as a legislative parliamentarian, says calling the question while his wife had the floor, was out of order.

The violation of their own internal process and rules in order to adjourn throws the whole process and any decisions they might make, into question; they may have to re-meet in order to redo what ever it is that they do do this morning.

Muller-Aragon complained about the fact that she was unable to get the candidate resumes to review before the meeting.  They were denied to her by Board President Donald Duran he argued, according to a process which was decided upon before her election.

Duran did not take the opportunity to defend, explain or even acknowledge the decision that he and the board made (before Muller-Aragon's election) to secret resumes and applications until today.

An argument could be made for posting the truth (public records) as soon as it they become the truth and not at a date that is convenient for politicians and public servants for other reasons than the public interests.

The truth (about the wielding of public power and the spending of public resources) belongs to the people at the instant it is created.

It is not up to the people to prove their right to see and know the truth (at the instant it is created). It is incumbent upon politicians and public servants to prove the(ir) legitimate need to secret it from the people they serve.

Muller-Aragon articulated well, the need for more transparency in this process, pointing out the board has lost the trust of the people they serve through their in-secret decision making, and need to do things differently to repair the damage.




photos Mark Bralley