Oma on Board: September 2013

The idea that the APS board could be embarrassed, humiliated, or ashamed, "is ludicrous".

APS School Board President Marty Esquivel argues by and through his lawyers;The idea that the powers that be are concerned about Mr. MacQuigg speaking about the importanceof Character Counts! is ludicrous."The powers that be" ought to be concerned.Imagine you are a member of the Albuquerque Public Schools Board of Education. As such, you are one of seven of the senior-most role models in the entire APS, of student standards of conduct.If...

Brooks to ask SuperSAC what they think about dual standards of conduct in the APS

I made that up.I mean really, can you imagineAPS Supt Winston Brooks asking theSuper Student Advisory Council, SuperSAC,What do they think about students being expected to hold themselves honestly accountable to a nationally recognized, accepted and respected code of ethical conduct, and their senior-most role models are accountable only to the law.For how much longer can the Journal, KRQE, KOAT, and KOB TV refuse to investigate and report...

The Constitutionally protected human right to express anger against the government and government officials

The First Amendment to the Constitution provides protection for people who want to petition their government for redress. And by extension it protects people who want to petition their governmental officials for redress.What if the government, or government official's response makes the petitioner feel anger?Does the First Amendment protect a human right to feel angry? Does it then protect a human right to express that...

Legal weaselry; Juris Mustelidae

Using the law, the loopholes, weaknesses and technicalitiesto escape the earned consequences of conduct prohibitedby higher standards of conduct than the law, the standards ofconduct that all higher standards are higher than.It represents a failure of character and of courage.... if you ask ...

APS Defendants argue, I don't want to participate in the public forum

The unjustifiably expensive, intrusive and abusive legal defense taxpayers are providing for Marty Esquivel, Winston Brooks, Monica Armenta, and Steve Tellez, noticed that I stopped coming to public forum after the November 4, 2009 meeting.They argue that because I stopped coming, they didn't take anything away from me when they banned me from public forums. I am banned until I kiss Esquivel's and Tellez' rings; admit doing what I...

"When the truth gets out, there won't be a single senior APS administrator left standing"

Those are the words of a former APS Chief of Police; Gil Lovato and his lawyer Sam Bregman.It was their reply to those in the APS who were thinking about firing Lovato when the public corruption and incompetence in the leadership of the APS Police force was exposed in a lawsuit against now APS Chief of Police Steve Tellez.The firing would result in litigation, and in court, the truth would come out and no APS senior administrator would...

Trybus' actual words

From APS Assist Supt of Human Resources Andrea "Andi" Trybus' sworn testimony in deposition;Q. So my final question then is, do you have any recollection of APS police conducting its own investigation related to Mr. Lovato? A. I have no information that they did.Q. As the human resources -- as the head of human resources for APS, is it correct that the report that was prepared in relation to Mr. Lovato is a matter of opinion...

APS Modrall Melendres making stuff up

From the deposition and sworn testimony of APS Lead Counsel Arthur "Art" Melendres of the Modrall;Q. Have you seen him (me) do anything violent to anyone? A. I have personally not seen him do anything. I have seen his agitated behavior, but it has been reported to me that he has pushed and shoved people, and got in their face, but this only reported to me. You would have to ask others about the specifics.(emphasis added)Interestingly enough, both APS Supt Winston Brooks and APS Chief of Police Steve Tellez...

The Journal and Walz, complicit or complacent?

Hint; it's not complacent.The success of any endeavor, the APS for example, depends on two things;standards andaccountabilityAre APS standards high enough; is accountability honest?The standards that apply to APS senior administrators and board members are eitheradequately high, orthey are not. That is a statement of fact.It is my repeatedly expressed opinion that;The standards of conduct to which the leaders of the APS are held...

Journal editorial board meets with Brooks and Winter

In a Journal story, link, a couple of days ago, an editorial board meeting was mentioned;"APS Superintendent Winston Brooks and APS chief operations officer Brad Winter said during a Journal editorial board meeting Monday that ..."I have know idea what "editorial board meeting" means at Journal headquarters. The Wikipedia, wikilink, suggests there was a meeting of the editors and the leadership of the APS, in order that the editors can determine the tone and direction the publication's editorial policy will take. ...

APS deposition transcripts are public records

The transcripts of the depositions of the leadership of the APS are public records. They are in electronic format, and they are immediately available.Eeezy peezy; all you have to do is to get APS' Custodian of Public Records and Director of Communications Rigo Chavez to send them to youMore likely instead, you will receive snail mail from him, explaining that the records will be produced within the 15 days "allowed by the law".The...

How many times can you exercise Constitutionally protected human rights, before you forfeit them?

I have petitioned the leadership of the APS for redress of a grievance;The 89,000 of our sons and daughters in the APS have no senior administrative or executive role models of APS student standards of conduct; the Pillars of Character Counts!I have offered the petition a number of times andin a number of different ways.So many times in fact,and in so many waysthat APS School BoardPresident Marty Esquivelthinks that I havepetitioned him...

Brooks slanders Character Counts! founder; says the Pillars of Character Counts! are just for students.

APS Supt Winston Brooks, in sworn testimony during his deposition, revealed a lot about how little he knows about APS Student Standards of conduct; the Pillars of Character Counts! link.He doesn't know for example, that the standards of conduct that School Board Policy establishes for students, are called the Pillars of Character Counts! He thinks they are call "points" or something.He thinks the Pillars are "student" standards of...

Why is Dan Houston ignoring Steve Tellez' misconduct?

The only reason APS Police officers, including their Chief, can wear badges is because Bernalillo County Sheriff Dan Houston certifies them.APS Police Chief Steve Tellez is part of a cover up of felony criminal misconduct.Why won't Houston do anything?Why is he just sitting there doing nothing? photo Mark Bral...

Brooks' knowledge of corruption "sketchy"

APS Supt Winston Brooks was testifying under oath during his deposition. He was being asked questions about the public corruption and incompetence in the leadership of the APS Police force; the scandal that created the vacancy that he filled.When asked;As the superintendent, are you aware of the circumstances that let to Mr. Lovato's departure from the APS?Brooks replied;It is sketchy.Brooks should have more than a "sketchy" command...

I offered KRQE, KOAT and KOB the truth; I haven't heard back

I communicated yesterday by means of links on their websites, with the news departments of KRQE, KOAT, and KOB TV.I wrote;I have a copy of Winston Brooks' sworn deposition, and in it, evidence of his incompetence and corruption. (or words to that effect)I asked,if I gave it to you, would you even read it?I haven't heard back.When you ask someone if they intend to tell the truth,any answer except yes, means no. Saying nothing at all,means no.No, they do not intend to investigate and report uponthe ethics and accountability...

KRQE exposes Brooks' character

KRQE's recent coverage, link, of the spat between the leadership of the APS and the city, over a proposed loop drive around Jefferson Middle School, produced a couple of nuggets and insight into the character of APS Supt Winston Brooks.KRQE reporter Tina Jensen, link, gave Brooks the opportunity to respond to an email she was given in which it appears Jefferson staff were encouraged to allow a traffic jam in support of a presser that Brooks...

APS board ratifies contract with teachers

The Journal reports this morning that the APS School Board voted Wednesday night to ratify the district's contract with teachers and provide them a 1% raise.To ease the sting of a 1% raise, "the teachers union contract also included some new, non-monetary provisions. For example, it includes,a provision that the district superintendent will have sack lunch meetings with teachers."Albuquerque Teachers Federation President Ellen Bernstein...

Brooks details his part in OMA violation

On August 19, 2010, the APS District and Community Relations Committee held a meeting. The meeting was held at Eldorado High School, link.It was a "public meeting" as is meant in the New Mexico Open Meetings Act, link, (compliance guide) which reads in significant part;All meetings of any public body except the legislature and the courts shall be public meetings, and all persons desiring shall be permitted to attend and listen to...

First annual; APS SuperTAC Survey of Teachers

APS Supt Winston Brooks has formed, according to his own interests; a SuperTAC; a Superintendent's Teacher Advisory Council.What if the SuperTAC advised Brooks to survey teachers every year?What if they told him; teachers will write the questions?A survey of teachers, by teachers and for teachers.They would of course, accept the "advice" of the superintendent, should he have a survey question or two to ask, that teachers have not asked already.Because that's the way teachers roll....

Brooks listens to teachers, or not.

APS Supt Winston Brooks spent Monday afternoon, link, listening to teachers - 20 of them.He has had formed, a SuperTAC; a Superintendent's Teacher Advisory Council.No indication is given, on how or by whom the relative handful of teachers were selected to represent every other teacher in the APS.The SuperTAC follows, give or take a year or two, on the heels of the SuperSAC; the Superintendents' Student Advisory Council. Teachers should...

The Albuquerque Journal to survey APS teachers

Journal Managing Editor Kent Walz intends to take full advantage of the nearly 100,000 years of teaching experience shared by APS teachers,by means of a survey.He will survey teachers and provide for them, an opportunity to respond candidly, forthrightly and honestly to questions about what is keeping nearly half of students from acquiring a top notch education.He will give them an opportunity to respond without fear of retaliation....

Walz gives Lucero 15 inches to polish Brooks' apple.

In the Journal this morning, link,you will find 15 inchesof OpEd from former APSSchool Board MemberRobert Lucero.He used all fifteen inchessinging his praise for Brooks.The editors added an inch of their own;"Brooks works hard for APS"The editors chose to not publish my letter, link, daring them to survey teachers on whether they think Brooks works hard for APS.The Journal could email a survey to every teacher in the APS at practically...

Board to meet in secret to evaluate Brooks

The APS School Board will meet in secret this morning, link, to evaluate Superintendent Winston Brooks' "Progress for the District."Past practice is; after a meeting like this, the board votes to re-inflate Brooks' golden parachute for another year. The value of Brooks' parachute fluctuates between $1M and $1.25M.Some part of Brooks' evaluation should be considered in secret for a variety of good and ethical reasons. The rest...

Yet another OMA Violation by NM FOG VP Esquivel

APS' Executive Director of Board Services and Government Affairs Brenda Yager has testified under oath;APS School Board President and open government expert Marty Esquivel had her take a vote off of the public record, soliciting board members support for his banning letter. She testified I believe, that she had contacted "all" of the board members, and that they all voted in approval.Former Board Member David Robbins once said the...

A jury of my peers will come to believe ...

there is an ethics and accountability scandal in the leadership of the APS, and further that I had a Constitutionally protected human right to expose that scandal in a public forum.I can't wait for a jury of my peers to listen to them talk about;their abandonment of their obligations as the senior-most role models of student standards of conduct, or about,their cover up of felony criminal misconduct involving APS senior administrators,...

Trybus drops bombshell

APS Superintendent of Human Resources Andrea Trybus, link, swore under oath today, that the APS Police force never investigated the public corruption in the APS Police force circa 2006-7.The corruption and incompetence was first reported by the Journal, link. APS gave reassurances that their police force was investigating allegations of felony criminal misconduct; however ridiculous it was to be investigating their own corruption.Trybus...

Despite 36% approval rate, Brooks is good to go.

According to the Journal this morning, link, APS Supt Winston Brooks enjoys a 36% approval rating.Brooks attributes the low rating to the ignorance of those who were polled;"... city voters who aren’t parents may not follow education closely or know much about his performance."APS School Board President Marty Esquivel was quick to jump on Brooks' bandwagon;"... he is pleased with the progress APS has made under Brooks’ direction, of which...

Tellez was put in charge of his own coverup

In late 2006 there was a scandal in the leadership of the APS (police force). The Journal finally reported on it in early February 2007, link.APS Chief of Police Gil Lovato was put on administrative leave in early January 2007 over allegations that he;misappropriated evidence (money) from the evidence roommisused district resourcesharassed and intimidated employeesshowed favoritism toward employees, andengaged in an extramarital relationship...

APS Dress Code back in the news

According to APS Administrative Procedural Directives, link, students are specifically prohibited from "sagging"."Sagging", or the wearing of pants below the waist and/or in a manner that allows underwear or bare skin to show, and "bagging", or the wearing of excessively baggy pants with low hanging crotches. If you drive by any APS middle or high school, you will see students sagging; openly, brazenly.According to the Journal,...

Brad Winter joins APS' merry band of liars

Updated; belowAPS COO Brad Winter has reason to retaliate against me; I have published a number of posts regarding his unwillingness to offer a candid, forthright and honest accounting of spending at 6400 Uptown Blvd.I have filed a complaint against him over that failure, link.And he has retaliated, by filing a false affidavit under penalty of perjury. The setting is the August 25, 2010 Audit Committee meeting. Mark Bralley...

NM FOG VP Esquivel caught in yet another bald faced lie.

This isn't the first time he's been caught in a bald faced lie, link. How many lies do you get to tell, before you're a liar? In his Response, APS School Board President Marty Esquivel writes (by and through his team of lawyers);When Mr. MacQuigg and Mr. Bralley returned to the meeting after the closed session, Mr. Robbins questioned them about his concern that they had deliberately left recording equipment behind in the room in an attempt to record the executive session. When Mr. Bralley gave what Mr. Robbins took to...

Marty Esquivel is an "unethical lawyer"

During his sworn deposition, APS School Board President Marty Esquivel says he doesn't care what I call him; he doesn't read my blog and he doesn't care what I write.The exception according to Esquivel, was when I called him an "unethical lawyer". I have searched my blog for the expression "unethical lawyer" and found nothing. I have no record or recollection of using the phrase,until now.Marty Esquivel is a lawyerMarty Esquivel...