APS forming "Social Media Task Force". You cannot be serious!

The leadership of the APS has decided to rewrite the district-level social media policy and guidelines.  The current policy, link,

Employees need to be mindful of their internet website postings even if done off duty and off District property. Do not engage in social networking during the duty day. Do not disclose personal or contact information, or post photographs of employees without their permission. Never post a photograph and/or information about an APS student. Employees who violate this Policy may be subject to the APS Progressive Discipline Process. 

was apparently inadequate to keep Supt Winston Brooks out of trouble.  It is unclear how a better policy in the staff handbook would have helped Brooks anyway, as he has admitted in his sworn deposition 187:11.

"I've not read the staff handbook".

Think please of the implications of Brooks' admission, both in terms of his enforcement of the handbook and his own obedience to it.

Despite the fact that taxpayers a ponying up a half million dollars a year for a communications department, those who work in it are apparently, unable to rewrite the rules by themselves.  They have decided to form a Social Media Task Force, link, to help them along.

Assume for the sake of argument, that a "better" policy would help (there is not a whit of difference between the highest standards of conduct and the lowest, if neither is enforced), why do we need a task force to write it?  Task forces don't happen for free.  At the very least, APS newly hired (>$50K/yr) "social media expert" will be there and she's making $25/hr.

If Executive Director of Communications Monica Armenta shows up, it's going to cost taxpayers more than $50/hr; plus all their ancillary staff, snacks and who knows what else.  They're planning to meet twice a month for who knows how many months.

Why does a communications expert worth more than $100K a year, and her $50K a year social media expert, need help of writing a simple social media policy? Hell, they could probably download a perfectly adequate one from the internet for free.

Again, it's not the lack of standards, it's not the quality of the standards that is the problem.  The problem is that these folks are not really, honesty accountable to any standards of conduct.

If this sounds at all fascinating to you, you can nominate yourself to serve on the task force, link.  Be prepared to write up to two hundred words on why you're the best representative of parents, students, counselors, teachers, or principals, in this monumental undertaking.

What makes this particularly irksome is that there are existing standards which are more than adequate for the need.  Student standards of conduct, and therefore adult standards of conduct, require "treating people with respect".  Students are expected to treat others as they themselves would be treated.

If Brooks doesn't get that, if he does not know that already, (he clearly does not), no new policy is going to help him understand it.

This is a colossal waste of time and resources; time and resources that would be better spent on students in order that they not grow into adults who are oblivious even of, the golden rule.




photo Mark  Bralley