hhI greet news that CMS brass wants to go beyond criminal background and even credit checks of employees to checks of “character, general reputation, personal characteristics and mode of living” informed by two seemingly unrelated pieces of information.

The first, that one CMS teacher tried for over a year — without success — to get the name on her paycheck to match her married name. Second, that CMS right now has Independence High football coaches under a gag order — enforced by a threat of termination — as system lawyers pour over cell phone records looking for violations of system policy.

In other words, CMS is both too incompetent to handle the info it seeks and too vindictive, petty, and political to be trusted with such info. Ah, but there is a plan. There is always a plan.

Start from the premise that the great sports eligibility hoo-ha is just a front to send — stampede, really — “compliance officers” into every school. Aside from the added cost, this new network will report directly to the EdCenter. Their purpose will be to vet enrollment status not just of athletes, but all students. This will be done by demanding additional documentation as a condition of enrollment in CMS. Don’t be surprised to be asked for mortgage records and multiple forms of ID in the near future. Compliance officers will also be in a position to filter and negate “bad” numbers while alerting CMS of the situation via a back channel not accessible to the public.

To recap, we now have random background checks on employees, on all volunteers, a bid to cease reporting violent incidents on CMS campuses, and now a bid to require what can only be described as a security clearance as a condition of employment. This is no accident.

This is what empires do.

Empires attempt to control the flow of people (check) resources (check) and information (in progress). Imperial needs always take precedent in any endeavor, with other interests held to be merely instrumental to strengthening the empire. Those who unquestioningly serve the empire are rewarded, those who question are marginalized — or worse.

Peter Gorman has been questioned in this space for failing to be the change agent CMS needs, for failing to lead. Little did we realize how wrong we were. Looking for educational change and leadership — that was wrong. We were looking in the wrong place.

We were looking for a corporate model of governance and accountability, with educational excellence the end goal. Turns out that was never the target. Turns out an imperial, if not totalitarian, organization was the aim, with power and control the ultimate prize. The end in itself. Given enough power and control, CMS does not have to answer to anyone — parents, teachers, the school board. Anyone. It will set the agenda, define the problem — if any — and report progress. Steady progress. With no dissent.

All hail Peter the Great.

Update: CMS is backing down. For now. Just like the forced teacher transfers. And the end to incident reports.