No public forum at the next APS school board meeting - why not?

update: I have been informed by the board; "... there will be regular public forum at the meeting on Wednesday" despite its absence from their agenda.

The agenda, link, for the APS school board meeting does not include a public forum.

That's bound to upset some people.

For example, the teachers and their union leadership who have been conducting what they call "teach-ins" during the public forum.  The teach-ins consist of ATF President Ellen Bernstein and a handful of union members showing up regularly at the public fora to "educate" the board regarding the problems they confront; to inform them of what they apparently don't know or don't understand.

Bernstein, despite her position, experience and expertise, has found herself in the line with everyone else, vying for somewhere between 60 and  120 seconds of the board's full attention.

That their only opportunity to command the board's attention for even a few moments, has been cancelled without explanation or apology will be regarded by the union as, as insulting as it is disrespectful of their interests.

The lengths to which the APS board must go, to keep distance between itself and anyone who might publicly disagree* with them are appalling.  *Or, embarrass, shame or indict them.

Nowhere,
will the board stand and deliver good faith responses to legitimate questions.

Never,
will anyone in the "leadership" of the APS point to a time, a day and a place where the will simply sit and deliver candid, forthright and honest responses to questions about the public interests or about their public service.

In the absence of any explanation whatsoever regarding the absence of the public forum, conjecture is reasonable.

Perhaps it's been cancelled in the interests of school board Vice President Analee Maestas in order to provide cover for her as she remains embroiled in what is only the most recent scandal and fall from grace in the leadership of the APS.

Perhaps Maestas doesn't want anyone standing up at the public forum and poking holes in her pathetic defense of the allegation that she squandered public trust and treasure by having taxpayers pay to clean her house.




photos Mark Bralley