Esquivel remarks; conflicting and confusing

Former APS school board member Marty Esquivel showed up alone at the Albuquerque Press Women luncheon, link, to address for them; "what is happening to the Albuquerque Public Schools?".

Former APS interim supt. Brad Winter was supposed to be there, speaking and answering questions, but neither spoke nor attended.

Esquivel began by outlining the three main school board responsibilities. He moved then, to the obstacles that lay in the way of the school board being able to find out what happened in situations like the ongoing Charlie Foxtrot, wiktionary, involving Valentino, Martinez, Moya and Blakey.

Esquivel argued that the board only has one employee; the superintendent.  He said, the board could not for example ask Human Resources to conduct an investigation because they work for the supt. and not for the board.

Later on the issue of transparency, he complained that the board is able to hire lawyers to conduct investigations for them, and then use the relationship as an excuse to hide the findings of the investigation from stake and interest holders.

In November of last year, then APS School Board President Analee Maestas hired a lawyer to conduct an investigation related to then Supt. Winston Brooks.  Esquivel explained that the board was then able to use that relationship to hide the findings from public knowledge.  The findings are still secret and the subject of ongoing IPRA litigation.  The board spends on that litigation, in meetings in secret, without real oversight, and without limit.

Esquivel told the Journal, link;

The president does have the authority to hire an attorney as long as the cost is less than $50,000.

So which is it?

Is the board is helpless to find the truth, or is it not?

photo Mark Bralley