“Now it’s time for me to be a role model to you.” Winston Brooks

Fresh off his three day suspension and the morning after whatever it was that happened Wednesday night, APS Supt Winston Brooks met with his SuperSAC; the Superintendent's Student Advisory Council.  He sought their advice on his recovery as their superintendent.

At some point in the discussion Winston Brooks said;

“Now it’s time for me to be a role model to you.”

He should have been more specific.

Some people, when they use the phrase "role model" understand it to mean positive role model.  Brooks, I suppose means positive role model.

There is a such thing as negative role modeling and, it behooves one to differentiate.

A few days before, the senior-most administrative role model in the entire APS, role modeled disrespect.  He showed students what it looks like to be disrespectful.

APS student standards of conduct address respect.  Respect, in fact, is one of the Six Pillars of Character that students are expected to model and promote.  One behaves disrespectfully, students are taught, at the forfeit of their good character.

Winston Brooks will take "advice" from the school board because he has no choice.

He will take "advice" from students because they have no power.

He will not take "advice" from teachers, staff or community members.

He will not take a question from anyone who might ask;

It is time for you, Winston Brooks, to be students' role model of exactly what?  What standards of conduct will you role model "accountability to"?

Like them or no, there are actual APS "student standards of conduct", though you will not find any labeled as such..  I have argued since the School Board adopted Character Counts! in 1994, student standards of conduct are the Pillars of Character Counts!.

If they are not, then what are?  Search their award winning for APS Student Standards of Conduct, link.  I submit you will find nothing that indicates that APS Student Standards of Conduct are anything other than, the Pillars of Character Counts!.

The Pillars represent a nationally recognized, accepted and respected code of ethical conduct.  Students are expected to model accountability to higher standards of conduct than the law.

Is Winston Brooks claiming he intends to step up as a role model for students, of the Pillars of Character Counts!?

An inconspicuous role model is a walking oxymoron.

Unless Winston Brooks is willing to stand up in front of students and say,

I am willing to hold myself honestly accountable to the same standards of conduct we establish and enforce upon you.  Because we expect you to embrace character and courage and honor, I will show you what they look like; I will hold myself honestly accountable as a role model of the Pillars of Character Counts!.

he is a role model only of, hypocrisy.

Winston Brooks and rest of the leadership of the APS, have no intention to be held honestly accountable to any higher standards of conduct that the law.  They have no intention to be held honestly accountable as role models.

In truth, they are spending operational dollars hand over fist, in litigation to except them from accountability even to the law.

School Board President Marty Esquivel is the senior-most executive role model of student standards of conduct.  Though he once told me, he isn't a role model for students, because he "isn't an educator".

Esquivel had no problem holding Winston Brooks accountable as a role model, though Brooks is no more of an "educator" than Esquivel is.

Esquivel will not conspicuously role model his accountability to the same standards they establish and enforce upon students.

There is an enormous hypocrisy here.  There are two standards of conduct in the APS, the law for the senior administrators and school board members, and higher standards for students.  Is in an ethics and accountability scandal by any reasonable definition.

There are two ways to resolve the hypocrisy;

1. raise adult standards to the same standards as students, or
2. lower student standards to the lowest possible standards; the law; the standards that every higher standard is higher than.

The leadership of the APS is threatened by either choice.  They would be humiliated by lowering student standards (unless they and their media friends can find a way to do it in secret) and honest accountability to any standards of conduct that require truth telling would cost many of them their futures as politicians and highly paid public servants.

They truly are; twixt a rock and a hard place.

The Journal, KRQE, KOAT, and KOB TV will continue to hide the hypocrisy because they too, find themselves twixt a rock and a hard place;

1. How can they report credibly on the ethics and accountability scandal in the leadership of the APS,
2. without first reporting credibly on their relentless refusal to investigate and report upon the scandal heretofore?

The board removed the role modeling clause from their own standards of conduct, more than six years ago.

In no case shall the standards of conduct for adults
be lower than the standards of conduct for students.

According to APS' award winning website, link, one student offered this on Brooks' recovery as their senior-most administrative role model of student standards of conduct;

“We think you’re a good person and that’s all that matters.”

And now its time to move along, in the interests of the children.




photos Mark Bralley