Monday

INDICTMENTS! [No April Fool]

The floodgates have opened and, to my surprise (since I had been reporting that no one else seemed interested any longer and that no charges had been brought as of last week) there have been several administrators, school leaders, and teachers INDICTED for their roles in the Atlanta Public Schools cheating scandal.

From the headlines are the specific charges.  Here is more about what happens after the indictment.

CNN.com:
In what has been described as one of the largest cheating scandals to hit the nation's public education system, 35 Atlanta Public Schools educators and administrators were indicted Friday on charges of racketeering and corruption.
The indictment is the bookend to a story that was once touted as a model for the nation's school districts after the district's test scores dramatically improved in some of its toughest urban schools.
Among those indicted by a Fulton County, Georgia, grand jury was Beverly Hall, the former schools superintendent who gained national recognition in 2009 for turning around Atlanta's school system.
Local Channel 2 news (WSB):

More after the break...



Person-by-person listing of the indictments.  Including,
  • Dr. Beverly Hall (Superintendent):
    "Superintendent, APS. Hall "was ultimately responsible for honestly and accurately reporting information to the State of Georgia regarding the evaluation of students," the state report said. "Dr. Hall failed in her leadership of, and ultimate responsibility for, testing activities and for ensuring the ethical administration of the CRCT in 2009, as well as in previous years. This resulted in, and she is responsible for, falsifying, misrepresenting or erroneously reporting the evaluation of students to the State Department of Education with regard to the results of the 2009 CRCT in the APS system," investigators wrote. "Finally, we conclude that Dr. Hall either knew or should have known cheating and other misconduct was occurring in the APS system," the state report said. Hall is charged with violation of Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, false statements and writings, false swearing and theft by taking." 
    • Millicent Few (Chief Resource Officer):  
     "According to a confidential informant in 2009, when the AJC requested OIR complaints related to testing misconduct, Few instructed OIR personnel to destroy documents, while illegally withholding other records from production," the state report said. "When asked about these matters, Ms. Few made false statements," investigators said. Few is charged with violation of Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act and false swearing."

    • Tamara Johnson (School Reform Team #4 Executive Director):
    "SRT-4 Executive Director, APS. "she is responsible for aiding and abetting Dr. Hall in falsifying, misrepresenting or erroneously reporting the evaluation of students to the Georgia Department of Education with regard to the results of the 2009 CRCT," the report said. "We conclude that Tamara Cotman (formerly Johnson) either knew or should have known cheating and other misconduct was occurring within schools in SRT-4. Finally, when questioned about these matters and the "Go to Hell" meeting, she provided false information to us," investigators said. Cotman is charged with violation of Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, influencing witnesses."

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