APS, time for a tune-up?

The administration of the APS is need of a tune up.
Before it can begin administer;

• the raising of test scores,
• the lowering truancy,
• the retention of good teachers
• the graduation of more of this community’s sons and daughters, or
• any of myriad other problems in classrooms and schools

the administration of the public schools needs to administer to itself.

Just like a car needs tuning before a race or road trip; the administration of the APS needs tuning before embarking on its next assault on ignorance.

In our next superintendent, we need a tune-up mechanic.

More than that, we need a crew chief; a synergist; a facilitator able to draw together stake and interest holders in order that they can pull on the same end of the rope.

The administration of the APS is crippled by its dark side; powerful people ignoring policies, procedures, rules and regulations.  And yes, even the law.

APS needs a supt. who can pull together the “respectable side” of the administration and together, ferret out and remove its dark side.

APS needs a superintendent with the character and the courage to establish due process for complaints over administrative incompetence, even those lodged by the least powerful and against even the most powerful.

Though there are good and decent administrators in the APS, the administration overall, is in the direst need of a role model of honest accountability to meaningful standards of conduct and competence within public service.

The administration of the APS has for years and with the school board’s at least tacit approval, promoted administrators with issues of competence and character.

A recent audit of APS’ administration found that administrative evaluations were “subjective and unrelated to promotion or step placement”.  Good ol’ boys were promoting good ol’ boys with consideration of neither character nor competence.

Ayn Rand wrote;

When your impartial attitude declares, in effect, that neither the good nor the evil may expect anything from you—whom do you betray and whom do you encourage?

APS needs a superintendent who will encourage the good
by holding the evil honestly accountable for their relentless incompetence and corruption.

If s/he allows; if we allow, incompetent and or corrupt administrators to serve publicly, whom will we encourage and whom will we betray?

It's time to let the bright side of the APS shine.
The superintendent who can enable that, will not be
found in meetings in secret.

cc. Letters to the editors