Atlanta Public Schools: 41 Named In Cheating Scandal Quit

ATLANTA -- Atlanta school officials say 41 educators accused in a cheating scandal have resigned or retired.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that, according to district data, 13 educators have left since the state issued a scathing report detailing cheating. The report alleged cheating on standardized tests dating back to 2001 in nearly half of the district's 100 schools.

Atlanta Public Schools interim Superintendent Erroll Davis said at a town hall meeting Thursday that approximately 30 educators had resigned or retired from the system at that point.

Now, Atlanta officials are deciding what to do with the remaining 137 educators. Termination proceedings could take anywhere from days to years, but Davis has assured parents that those named in the report will not be back in the classroom.

At the same time, Georgia education officials are scrutinizing the eight members who still sit on the Atlanta school board and looking to determine whether they are still fit to oversee the nearly 50,000-student district, according to AJC.

Officials say 28 educators left before the report was issued. The report implicated 178 educators in what is the nation's largest cheating scandal.

Of those educators who have left, 13 are school principals implicated in the cheating investigation.

Interim schools Superintendent Erroll Davis sent a message to employees named in the report earlier this month demanding they resign or be fired. School employees who are fired are entitled to a hearing under state law.

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Comments

[rtaylortitle]

06:03 PM on 08/26/2011

The Atlantic school system should be totally ashamed of their record. I'm sure this is happening elsewhere, but let's attack this fraud and corruption at taxpayers expense where we know for sure it has happened.

[Urbane Worrier]

05:49 AM on 07/26/2011

They should be in JAIL.

Do not pass go. Do not collect $200.

[Dh Barr]

09:40 PM on 07/25/2011

If you "cheat" as a federal contractor to get federal funds, you get prosecuted. Not only did these folks cheat on tests to qualify for federal funds, but they also tried to cover it up. I want to see the DOJ in here investigating and prosecuting these guys.

[Waltfl]

03:21 PM on 07/26/2011

"If you "cheat" as a federal contractor to get federal funds, you get prosecuted..."

Braaahahahahaha.... 

Can you say Halliburton? Can you say KBR? 

http://tinyurl.com/p38yzw

[ApprxAm]

07:44 PM on 07/25/2011

41 people closer to getting on the path to wellness.

[Greg34]

04:42 PM on 07/25/2011

Those named in the report are not fit to teach time to move on. Taxpayer money should not be WASTED on these teachers. They should lose benefits and pensions, they should also repay the salaries they were paid during the time the scandal took place. They did not fulfill their contract to teach instead they cheated.

[Eric Mann]

09:38 PM on 07/25/2011

I sure do hope you get a taste of the vindictiveness you promote someday. Maybe a personal taste will soften your opinions.

[Greg34]

09:33 AM on 07/26/2011

They did not fulfill their contract. They cheated instead of taught their benefits were not earned but stolen. Therefore it is theft and such they are subject to losing what they stole.

[rtaylortitle]

05:58 PM on 08/26/2011

You obviously don't comprehend the difference between vindictiveness and justice. I suspect you are probably an 'educator' with a guilty conscious.

[Kevin Rayburn]

11:01 PM on 07/25/2011

your right, these so called teachers who cheated not only cheated their students but they stole the money they earned for doing the job that they didnt do, thus they should be held to payback all $$ earned in the job they failed to perform. if that ammount is over the grand theft ammount in georgia they need to be charged with felony theft, and their retirements? tuff manure to them, but these are the kind of people that are holering in ohio and wisconsin...dont take away MY benefits i dont care how much taxpayers have to pay...let the taxpayers pay more.

[Greg34]

04:37 PM on 07/25/2011

Any teacher involved in this cheating scandal should lose all benefits. That includes their health insurance and pensions.

[djo2013]

10:11 PM on 07/25/2011

I think that loss of career and a need to start scrabbling for a new living will be sufficient punishment. And when they're not employed, then surely (don't call me that) we won't have to worry about paying for any benefits. If they've invested into any health or retirement system, I think it's going much too far to strip them of assets they've earned. Law isn't my specialty, but I think that in general, criminals usually don't have everything they've ever earned taken from them upon conviction.

[Greg34]

09:32 AM on 07/26/2011

The assets they supposedly earned was through fraud and a breach of contract. If they did not fulfill their job or perform their tasks of teaching and cheated instad of taught their earning and assets up to that point should be returned to the school district.

[m4mbites]

03:39 PM on 07/25/2011

Where's Nancy Grace on this matter? Why aren't the names of these slugs being published? Are criminal charges being considered?

[umbrarchist]

03:14 PM on 07/25/2011

When is there any discussion of how relevant the information these tests check actually is?

If the kids think the tests are stupid why would they bother getting good scores? Knowing me, I might do badly on the tests just to get my teachers in trouble even though I got A's in my classes. LOL

[Daoine]

08:50 PM on 07/25/2011

Not that it's really relevant, but why would you do that deliberately? Would it serve any purpose or prove anything?

[djo2013]

09:58 PM on 07/25/2011

That's something children do. There are students who will fail tests on purpose.

[JScott]

10:34 AM on 07/25/2011

Please use appropriate stock photography, or at least don't use photos that are easy to see that they are clearly incorrect. I mean LA as Atlanta? C'mon.

[PixieGirl0731]

10:13 AM on 07/25/2011

When we make laws that are unreasonable what else should we expect? I do not think that the people who did what they were told to do should be fired. I think that the people who told them to cheat ought to do jailtime for extortion. They used their jobs to make them cheat. Also, maybe we ought to rethink educational reform???

[Greg34]

04:38 PM on 07/25/2011

Not only should they be fired they should lose any pension or benefits they have accrued. More typical union BS, it is everyone elses fault but the cheats. Sack the education unions that try and protect these criminals.

[djo2013]

09:40 PM on 07/25/2011

Sure! However, they have not been proven as criminals. Do that, and then fire them.

[Daoine]

08:32 PM on 07/25/2011

The jury is still way out on this issue. Best that we refrain from judgement until we find out who did it deliberately and tried to cover their tracks, then separate them from the ones who were threatened and manipulated. People who are desperate to keep their jobs (and in this economy that could mean ANY one of us) bend more easily to negatively applied pressure out of fear. I'm sure there will be some good people caught up in this mess. The lynch mobs are too ready to jump in there without all of the information and vilify the whole lot of them rather than sort it out, and that's a d@mn shame.

[Winkandanod]

09:55 AM on 07/25/2011

It seems the cheating scandal in Atlanta will garner constant national headlines and Dr. Hall and Superintendent Davis will become the face of scandal. Meanwhile in DC...chirp...chirp, chirp.

Can someone please expain why Michelle Rhee, the star of Waiting for Superman, is getting a pass?

[sawyer0413]

09:12 AM on 07/25/2011

What is amazing is that the Board members even think they should be retained. If, and only if, they have proof that they raised internal alarms over the issue should they be retained. The newspaper article that started the investigation does not come out of the clear blue. The Board would have been contacted about it. They would have been asked for a response. If they didn't respond internally, they are not fit to remain.

What is even more amazing is the complete lack of accountability. They expect teachers to be accountable for their students, and they are not accountable for their schools. Absolutely amazing!

[Winkandanod]

08:38 AM on 07/25/2011

"The report implicated 178 educators in what is the nation's largest cheating scandal. Since the report's issuance, a revised list 179 educators."

This means another 400 knew or suspected it was happening, and looked the other way. Perhaps another 200 should have supsected but, were too stupid to notice the malfeasance. I put that at roughly 800 educators who should not be allowed to teach or lead schools.

[Eric Mann]

09:59 AM on 07/25/2011

Judge AND jury then? Wow, no need for any due process or anything eh?

[Winkandanod]

10:06 AM on 07/25/2011

I made no reference to due process because I was focusing on all the adults in the system who, in one way or another, failed the children.

Sure I believe, everone should have due process. And, I recognize that most of my 800 would survive a hearing.

My point was about the "ought" not the "is."

In my opinion, the people who presided over and around this debacle for thousands of children ought to be held to high account.

[rtaylortitle]

06:01 PM on 08/26/2011

I still contend that education should be handled through the private market. Eliminate ALL school property taxes and let competition for the brightest, most ethical teachers occur in a totally privatized scenario.

[labman57]

02:07 AM on 07/25/2011

All of these principals from the same school district would not have undertaken such an unethical endeavor without explicit instructions/orders from their superiors. I would hope that the Superintendent would investigate DISTRICT-level complicity in this matter ... hope, but not expect.

[Daoine]

08:46 PM on 07/25/2011

The cheating is too pervasive not to have had some coordination from higher ranks. That much at least seems clear. Unfortunately for those innocent educators involved, this means that ALL data needs to be examined with a fine tooth comb to try and determine where inappropriate conduct occurred. In the meantime, given our "jump the gun" culture, people are going to shout out and crucify anyone involved rather than wait until the evidence is provided through investigation. Education is a hot button issue and people are too ready and willing to be angry about anything that comes down the pike. I know in my heart it will happen, but I just hope that there won't be too many innocent teachers who have their reputations and careers ruined because people couldn't wait for the facts to judge.

[frdafury]

02:00 AM on 07/25/2011

Well, isn't this a fine pickle. Not that I am happy to hear about all the cheating, nor that the students are the one's that truly suffer but is anyone thinking about the fact of where the cheating came from? How many more people are busily covering their butts while hiding their faces? Could we get some real investigation into this situation that actually shows ALL guilty parties and their level of guilt? It is easy when you have a large crowd like this to claim everyone is equal in their guilt when reality tells us that is never the case. Some have more guilt than others and some of the guilty have not been identified. Plus let's not forget what led up to the cheating in the first place.

[changing]

02:10 PM on 07/25/2011

Let's fire Arne Duncan, the vulture philantrophists, the test profiteers, the charter sharks. Let's work on that cesspool first and maybe we won't have to worry so much about the lowly educators who are cheating to keep their jobs and schools open.