Oma on Board: May 2013

Imagine an audit of the APS

You will have to "imagine" the audit of executive and administrative standards and accountability in the Albuquerque Public Schools; it will not take place for as long the same group of good ol' boys and girls run the APS and the media.The audit would cost at most, a few thousand dollars.APS could even do the audit on itself; as long as the findings were made public.The auditors would ask;what standards of conduct and competence apply individually...

KRQE raked over the coals by blogger

Blogger Joe Monahan, link, suggests that ties between KRQE heavy hitters and principles in the racino scandal, Darren White for one, is affecting KRQE's coverage.My own history with KRQE corroborates Monahan's impression.Their close ties with principles, in this case their own lawyer APS School Board President Marty Esquivel, and with former school board heavy hitter Paula Maes, President and CEO of the NM Broadcasters Association, would...

Journal twixt rock and hard place

Journal editors Kent Walz and Charlie Moore have a problem; their friend APS School Board President Marty Esquivel, the school board and a bunch of the administrative leadership team are about to go down for violating my civil rights. And for unlawfully hiding public records of public corruption.The consequent calamity is going to expose what I've been saying all along; there is an ethics and accountability scandal in the leadership of the APS;they are denying due process to hundreds of whistleblower complaints,they are...

Marty Esquivel bad lawyer or bad liar?

The Journal covered the story when my complaints were filed in federal court. I use the term "cover" loosely. Journal editors Kent Walz and Charlie Moore knowingly permitted or negligently allowed reporter Hailey Heinz to pen one sided coverage amounting to journalistic malpractice, link.In her "investigation and report"; she quoted School Board President Marty Esquivel profusely.She didn't even bother to contact me, much less quote...

Esquivel's video

School Board President Defendant Marty Esquivel shot some video during the incident at the Aug 25, 2010 Audit Committee Meeting.Mark Bralley and I were accused of recording an in secret meeting, in violation of the Open Meetings Act; an allegation we flatly deny.There was no due process, nor evidence that we had done anything wrong, nor, frankly, even any evidence that anything wrong had been been done, videolink.The video was shot...

Should APS students learn about character?

Should there be in the APS, a conscientious effort to teach students about character in the hope they will grow into adults holding themselves accountable to "higher" standards of conduct?Where will that question be discussed; openly, honestly and with meaningful public participation?Sadly, the answer is nowhere. There is no place where the senior-most role models of student standards of conduct will sit and discuss their efforts...

Marty Esquivel role model. Not.

The very instant that APS School Board President Marty Esquivel became the school board president, he donned mantelet of senior most role model of student standards of conduct.You wouldn't know it. He thinks his silent abdication trumps his moral obligations.He is yet to explain the math to interest holders.One doesn't decide whether they are a role model. Coaches don't get to decide whether they are role models. The only...

The evidence against me; you be the judge

This isn't everything that APS School Board President Marty Esquivel and the rest of the defendants have produced as evidence in their defense against my complaints that they have violated my civil rights. It isn't even the most damning to their defense.I've have edited their production to eliminate their repeated recitations of the rules they wrote to prevent me from challenging their character and competence as politicians and public servants from the podium during public forum.If you Google "worst behavior protected...

Last day of school a waste of money

The last day of school in the APS costs taxpayers the same as every other day of school; nearly five million dollars. We pay for 182 of them every year.Students don't get 182 days of learning. The truth is they get nowhere close.Take away all the days when students are doing something beside learning; days spent in testing for example, and I wouldn't be surprised to find students probably spend one day in two "learning". ...

APS spending $60K on their defense

APS is yet to comply with an IPRA request to inspect and/or copy the actual signed contract providing for a legal defense for APS School Board President Marty Esquivel, former School Board Member David Robbins, APS Chief of Police Steve Tellez, APS Executive Director of Communications Monica Armenta, APS Director of Communications Rigo Chavez, and APS Supt Winston Brooks. But upon information and belief, when the actual contracts...

The problem with wearing an elephant mask

is not that it means you are a threat or a safety risk, but that someone like Marty Esquivel will try to make it look like it does.APS School Board President Marty Esquivel is defending himself in federal court against righteous complaints over his disregard of my constitutionally protected human rights to speak freely, to assemble freely, to petition my government for redress of my several grievances, and for due process from the government...

APS and TIG; KRQE, KOAT, KOB and the Journal know

The following email was sent to the appropriate news tip destination at the Journal, KRQE, KOAT, and KOB TV.Recently, Technology Integration Group was raided by the FBI.APS and TIG have been business partners for a long time with very lucrative contracts.TIG has been investigated in other communities.At one time, APS was audited by Meyners & Co. You can get a copy of their findings from Rigo Chavez, APS’ custodian of public records....

APS TIG records missing

TIG, Technology Integration Group, subjects of an investigation by the FBI, link, were doing business with the APS at a time when auditors from Meyners & Co had found that APS' Finance Department had;inadequate standards, inadequate accountability and inadequate record keeping;the trifecta of circumstances for public corruption and misappropriation of public money.Nobody ever went to jail for not keeping records accurate and complete enough, to send them to jail.If the FBI looks for the records of public money...

APS vendor raided by the FBI

Technology Integration Group was raided by the FBI today, link.The TIG has had a long and lucrative relationship with the leadership of the Albuquerque Public Schools. The relationship dates back to a time when APS senior administrators were spending $50K at a whack "without involving Purchasing" in a Finance Department where auditors found; inadequate standards, inadequate accountability to such standards as there are, and inadequate record keeping - the trifecta of public corruption. Larry Barker was on their trail...

Esquivel's outrage disingenuous at best

KRQE offers a follow up piece the story about a high school wrestler getting away with murder and politician who helped him do it; County Commissioner Art De La Cruz, link.KRQE, because of personal and professional ties with APS School Board President Marty Esquivel, they allow him regular opportunities to keep his face in front of voters, who he hopes will one day propel him into the Attorney General's Office. Their story features...

Thousands and thousands and thousands of discipline cases every day in APS

APS Supt Winston Brooks was interviewed by KRQE for their story, link, on the specially treated Rio Grande High School wrestler. During the interview Brooks decried the decision of a judge to override the discipline imposed by the school.“I’m extraordinarily disappointed that the judge would second guess the school administration’s decision on this given that we make thousands and thousands and thousands of decisions on discipline...

Brooks stodgy thinking

APS Supt Winston Brooks has recently set a new graduation rate goal of 75 percent, link. His battle plan; more of the same;extending the day at our comprehensive high schoolsoffering programs like AVID at more than two dozen of our schools continue small learning communities and advisories, and professional learning communities ...Albert Einstein is widely, albeit incorrectly credited, link, with offering the observation; "Insanity...

La Cueva testing brouhaha follow up

A month ago, KRQE reported, link; the NM PED was investigating reports of testing irregularities during SBA testing at La Cueva High School.The NM PED won't respond to questions about the findings of their investigation, link.Nothing on APS' award winning website, link.And of course, nothing in the Journal, link.The principal has been named Principal of the Year, link. ...

Esquivel "irreparably damaged" relationship with union

Ellen Bernstein, the President of the union that represents APS teachers, has written a letter, link, to the board, Supt Winston Brooks, and "constituents'. It is addressed to APS School Board President Marty Esquivel.Bernstein wrote;For the second year in a row our agreement to bargain in good faith - which traditionally includes an agreement not to do anything that might undermine the bargaining process - has been violated.Bernstein...

APS' failures root cause

The success of any venture, like educating nearly 90,000 of this community's sons and daughters, depends on factors over which we have control and those we don't.Under our control;the standards of conduct and competence of those who will administer and execute the endeavor, andthe accountability to those standards.One without the other will not suffice; the highest standards of conduct are no different than the lowest, if neither can be enforced. And, there is no point in holding people strictly accountable to standards...

Teacher slaps student, why?

When a teacher slaps a student, it is an expression of frustration. Frustration is the result of an incongruity between the teacher's own sphere of influence and their far larger sphere of concern.It concerns teachers that students misbehave. In particular, teachers are concerned when misbehaving students interfere with learning by other students.Teachers have too little influence over student discipline. The consequences they are allowed to impose are inconsequential, in especially for chronically disruptive...

NM PED won't answer any questions about the La Cueva investigation.

There was a problem with testing at APS' crown jewel, La Cueva High School. The NM Public Education Department rolled in with investigators, link. It's been nearly a month; it doesn't take Jacques Clouseau to figure out if anybody did anything wrong.I asked, via their constituent services, about their progress. They acknowledged their receipt and promised a response. No response by their promised date.I called, no one to talk to, I got to leave a message. I asked for a call back. No call back.Do...

Testing is not rocket science

The brouhaha over the NMPED's end of course tests is a blessing in disguise; it will prompt public discourse on testing in general. The testing game is a sham.The point of "testing" is to provide for every student, an opportunity to demonstrate their competency.Qualified teachers don't need testing companies to write their tests for them. They can create their own "course end" tests.APS chemistry teachers, for example, are eminently...

APS appreciates teachers. Not really.

It is Teacher Appreciation Week. APS marked the occasion by celebrating a relative handful of teachers, link.It is worth noting that no APS teacher, not even the "celebrated"; not the Horizon Award winners, not the nationally certified, not one of them has a seat at the table where decisions are made; the truest measure of honest respect.How does one make people whose opinions, observations, and suggestions are of no interest, feel celebrated?Put their names up on electronic billboards, link, that should do it!...

Korte rant riles readers

School Board Vice-President Kathy Korte let fly May 2nd, in the Journal, a nearly 660 word rant in an effort to heap shame on;"... adults (who want more testing and who) are (not) walking with high school students as they traverse this new road littered with tests and stress."Does Kathy Korte really consider herself to be "among those who walk with high school students"? Riled readers found themselves given nearly a half page in the Journal...

APS still fighting agenda notice reform

The APS Policy and Instruction Committee will meet tonight. On the agenda, link, discussion and action on their Open Meetings Act Resolution; their declaration of their effort to comply with the requirements of the Act. Within the resolution, the following;Except in an emergency, the Board of Education draft meeting agenda shall be posted Seventy two (72) hours in advance of a Board of Education meeting.Except in an emergency, action may only be taken on items that have been officially posted on the final agenda...

When a legal opinion is the basis for public policy, it shouldn't be kept secret

APS School Board President, Defendant Marty Esquivel wrote a letter that began a long series of violations of my First and Fourteenth Amendments. He created a public policy denying my free exercise of constitutionally protected human rights. He did it based upon a legal opinion, bought with money that could have been, should have been, spent in a classroom instead.Art MelendresBefore the unlawful restraining order was laid upon...

Brooks' SuperSAC; super successful?

APS Supt Winston Brooks and the crème de la crème of high school students have folded up their tent for the 2012-13 school year. According to the award winning APS website, link, before they packed it in;"The Superintendent's Student Advisory Council played an important role in providing feedback to APS administrators on a variety of issues form bullying and violence in school to cafeteria food to budget."In an end of the year celebration...

Journal editors double standard on double standards

Journal editors took a stand this morning, link, averring the victim of the strong arm robbery by a politically connected bully, was a better role model than most of the adults around him. The victim, they wrote, was reasonably upset over the double standards of most adults; the standards they say everyone must meet, and the standards they are actually willing to meet.The editors, close personal friends with most of the leadership of the APS, are blind and deaf and dumb, when it comes to double standards and the APS. ...

APS FY14 Preliminary Budget

The APS Finance Committee will meet tomorrow at 5 pm. APS Chief Financial Officer Don Moya is scheduled, link, to present the preliminary budget to the board.If you would like to preview the budget yourself; APS has provided for you, a link.You will find it, of extraordinarilylittle use.photo Mark Bral...

Last day of school for seniors

A rudimentary search of APS' award winning website does not reveal the last day of school for seniors.It is well in advance of the last day of school for everyone else.A third of those seniors will not graduate this year, having been driven out, or having dropped out of public school education. A significant percentage of them lack the skills they will need to begin work or further their education or training.For lack of real numbers to work with, let's say senior year ends 10 days early.Overall, it represents 1/2 of 1...

Open Meetings - how much notice is enough?

Let's say you are a taxpayer and are interested in how your taxes are being spent. Let's say you are interested as well, in how your power is being spent.The spending of resources and the wielding of power takes place in public meetings. The decisions made in "not in public" meetings, either enjoy an exception to the Open Meetings Act, or are made in violation of it.If you want to attend, maybe even participate directly in a...

Is the APS Police Chief planning to lie under oath?

Defendant Marty Esquivel says that APS Police Chief Steve Tellez will testify, under oath,that he saw me at various times,standing unusually close to administrators and board members, holding my body in a aggressive manner, appearing to constitute a threat, invading personal space and assuming a "fighting stance".All of this requiring Tellez', "intervention". He says, according to Esquivel, I've been doing this kind of stuff...

Esquivel is obsessed with my "crying"

Very infrequently, when I am discussing issues of great personal and emotional importance, I find tears welling up. It comes and goes quickly. To call it "crying" is a little dishonest. Well, it's a lot dishonest. It is a little embarrassing, which I suppose is why Defendant Marty Esquivel brings it up every chance he gets. It doesn't mean I'm dangerous, though Esquivel would like people to think it does. Evidence,...

Bully gets off; victim disillusioned by so-called role models

The story ends the way the story always ends, when bullies get caught being bullies; they get another chance. The bully gets away with the bullying.A judge has decided;if the bully can manage to not get caught red-handed committing another strong arm robbery for 90 days, the charges over a strong arm robbery the bully committed in broad daylight in front of deputy sheriff, will be dismissed.There are those who believe a bully, if...