Persistent Journal editorial ignorance

Journal editors come this morning, link, with a reminder that middle schools need attention.  Elementary schools are in the spotlight over reading; high schools are lit by concern over graduation rates, but middle schools are falling through the cracks (in Journal coverage too).

In their post, the editors wrote of "disciplinary problems including truancy".  With respect to "discipline problems"; truancy is the least of them.  Truancy's impact is on the truant.  The impact of out of control students and chronically disruptive students impact everybody.

The editors relentlessly refuse to deal with the truth about student discipline and chronically disruptive students in APS schools.  Their record does not a include a single report on discipline in general in APS classrooms, hallways and campuses.

APS chooses to not report on student discipline.  APS does not gather, compile, nor publish data on student discipline;

• because the data is upsetting and

• because the data reflects an administrative failure*; teachers are supposed to be teaching not dealing with chronically disruptive students.

*If the board and their supt. could somehow blame teachers for the discipline problems in schools, they would in a heartbeat.   They have to hide the problem because its their problem; the failure to maintain discipline in schools is theirs; an administrative and executive failure.

Stake and interest holders depend on the press and their sacred obligation to inform the democracy.

The people's trust in the leadership of the APS and in the media has been betrayed, not only by the leadership of the APS in hiding the truth about discipline in schools, but also by the so called press; the Journal, and NMBA affiliates KRQE, KOAT, and KOB TV.

Not one of them can point to any investigation and report the did ever, on student discipline in particular, or to standards and accountability in general, in the APS.

It is fair to hold Journal editors more accountable than anyone.  No one is more invested in covering up an ethics, standards and accountability crisis in the leadership of the APS than Journal Editor in Chief Kent Walz.

Walz went so far to rub it in, as to bamboozle the NM FOG to giving their coveted Dixon Award for transparency to APS Supt. Winston Brooks while he, and they, were hiding public records including evidence of involvement by senior APS administrators in state and federal felony criminal misconduct.

Enough is enough already.




photo Mark Bralley