Ethics

[Thomas]

Mr. Hibbert and the other members of the parent body who had the courage and concern to produce this letter, and its accompanying documentation are to be commended for their courage. My understanding is that it isn’t an easy matter to offer even mild criticism of the status quo at the Academy–not for students, not for teachers, and not for parents. The bloated salaries and accompanying sense of importance naturally lead to an impatience with dissent.

As a parent and staunch supporter of Academy, and as a lifelong resident of Albuquerque who remembers the idealism that lie behind Academy’s founding, and the prestige of the school during its early years, I cannot help but wonder at the cynicism of a group of individuals, going back to the 1990’s, who chose to enrich themselves at the expense of the Simms family’s generosity. Where did the money go from the development of High Desert and Tanoan? From the sale of the land on which now stands the Journal Pavilion? Why did the school pursue land speculation on Black Mesa instead of making safe investments if not to line the pockets of a small group who saw the school not as a center of learning but a source of profit for themselves?

By all means, the current board has an ethical obligation to introduce long overdue transparency to the whole Academy community and, for that matter, to the residents of our city who look to the school as a source of pride.

[Older alum]

Don’t let Gary Gordon off the hook. The Academy is unique among independent schools in moving board members into the CFO position (Dick Elkins, Gary Gordon), paying them high salaries, and retaining them (with raises) in the face of disastrous financial results. There is a really bizarre and tone-deaf insularity to the AA board culture. Gary Gordon absolutely needs to go too.

[bonneville]

I’d like to thank Mr. Hibbett for recognizing Mr. Gordon’s loyalty to the school. I think he has done a lot of very good work. And I understand he was chiefly responsible for cleaning up the mess at Mariposa. I just wish I knew more about his contributions, as I’d like to be fair in my estimation of his service.

I do, however, agree that given the current financial stress at the Academy, his salary is very hard to defend. It’s really a puzzle.

But I want do want to say that since Mr. Gordon is retiring this year, I wish him all the best.

[BeenThere]

Please see my post in the governance section for more on this topic.

[libra68]

Hi Been There,
Thanks for your post over in governance.
I just got a copy of the NAIS Trustee Handbook. It’s amazing. Chapter 5 is called, “A Culture of Self-Assessment, Accountability, and Open Communication.” Just think about what that title says. (I’ll try to find a PDF of the Handbook to post here.)
The contrast between the Handbook and Academy practice could not be more glaring. Mr. Watson is a trustee of NAIS, and yet he routinely violates the standards that he is obligated to uphold. Talk about an ethics problem!
I wonder if the other NAIS trustees know about this…

[Author]

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