Bus drivers yell at APS students; do teachers?

There is a story in the news about an APS school bus driver is the subject of a complaint that she yelled at students and used inappropriate language in front of kids.  The owner of the bus company insists that you have to yell at kids (sometimes) to make them obey.

Recently, APS Executive Director of Communications Monica Armenta, admitted that a principal had used his "daddy voice" with a student.  The principal had been accused of banging a kid's head against the wall.  Armenta insisted that he had only used his "daddy voice" and by implication, that using one's daddy voice is an acceptable way of maintaining discipline and control in the APS.

So what is the status of discipline and control in APS schools and classrooms?

Who knows?

There is a huge secret being kept by the leadership of the Albuquerque Public Schools.  It has to due with student discipline and an overall loss of control over students at school.  Interest holders have no idea how students behave in classrooms.  They have no idea there are students in classrooms who keep other students from learning.  They have no idea how the performance is schools, classes and students is affected by student (mis)conduct.

The people who, by virtue of their tens of thousands of years of ongoing teaching experience, are most qualified to answer questions about student discipline, are not asked.  Why not?

There is a reason why the leadership of the APS does not survey teachers on student discipline issues and their effects.  There is a reason they don't keep any useful data on student discipline.  There is a reason that APS Supt Winston Brooks is never going to do a PowerPoint presentation on student discipline; history, trends, and future plans, link.

The truth about student discipline and its effects on an educationally efficient environment is being hidden because it makes the leadership of the APS look incompetent.

The enforcement of district discipline policies is an administrative responsibility.  The failure to control chronically disruptive students is an administrative failure, not teachers, though they are the ones being held accountable for any lack of progress the administrative failure engenders.

There's really only one reason to not tell the truth,
and that is to avoid the consequences of having the truth known.

Why won't Supt Winston Brooks, or someone in his stead, be candid, forthright and honest with interest holders on the issue of student discipline, standards and accountability,

except to avoid the unpleasant consequences
of the truth being known?




photo Mark Bralley