Arrests made in CRCT cheating. Are more to come?
The former principal at Atherton Elementary and the assistant principal have been arrested for their involvement in the CRCT cheating scandal.
The arrests come about a week after a state audit showed answers had been changed on last summer’s fifth-grade CRCT retests at four elementary schools.
Atherton Elementary in DeKalb County was one of the schools cited in the audit. The other schools were: Atlanta’s Deerwood Academy, Parklane Elementary in Fulton County and Burroughs-Molette Elementary in Glynn County.
James Berry, the former Atherton principal, resigned after the audit was released. The assistant principal, Doretha Alexander, was reassigned.
The DeKalb District Attorney’s Office looked into allegations of cheating saying state law makes it a felony to tamper with state documents.
Will more arrests follow in DeKalb and other communities? Will the arrests do anything to curb cheating?
NOTE: Search district-by-district 2009 CRCT results here.
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121 comments Add your comment
Vince
June 21st, 2009
3:52 pm
Show Me…. My intent was not to say all urban schools are good and none have discipline problems. The intent was to say there are great public schools in Georgia, many in urban areas, and many that do not have discipline problems. I am a public educator and I take issue when people put down all public schools.
Let's not kid ourselves
June 21st, 2009
4:04 pm
You’re kidding, maybe teachers wouldn’t be defensive if they didn’t have to defend themselves, in many cases literally.
You’re kidding can you name one other profession where the manager is held accountable for the results of the employees, when the employees are allowed to remain in the workplace after A) flat out refusing to work B) disrupting fellow workers C) cursing out manager when the manager tries to intervene and D) getting verbally and in many cases physically abusive with the manager. And can you name one other profession where the employee can do all of that, then be returned right back to the worksite without any consequences after a brief talk with the manager’s supervisor?
I challenge you to name even one other profession where that is allowed to happen, but that is a standard operating procedure that many schools operate under. We already have documented evidence of school systems literally sweeping thousands of incidents under the rug, so if you try to claim this doesn’t happen, and doesn’t happen routinely, you simply aren’t bring an honest perspective to the debate.
If you can make a case that any other profession expects the manager to routinely put up with those they supervise refusing to work, disrupting others, verbally abusing and physically assaulting the manager, often with little to no consequences, then please make that case.
Otherwise, please acknowledge what private schools, homeschools and the like have readily acknowledged. We have a fundamental dysfunction when it comes to discipline in the schools, and supporting the teacher’s authority in running the classroom.
From the show me state
June 21st, 2009
4:26 pm
Vince,
I’m not asking you to defend the proposition that all urban schools are good and no discipline problems exist. That is indefensible. I am saying home matters, and I’m tired of educrats talking out of both sides of their mouth on the issue, because they are too spineless to support the teacher.
Because educrats as a whole are unwilling to acknowledge the reality that home matters, they blame the teacher saying that good teachers can overcome anything and that it’s the teacher’s fault when an at risk school fails to score as well as an affluent school. If it really is the teacher’s fault as they like to claim, then why do these educrats refer to these students as at risk? If the only thing that matters is the quality of the teacher, then what exactly are these students at risk of?
Again, talking out of both sides of their mouth to justify their own intellectual dishonesty, and the intellectual dishonesty of the system they serve.
Of course there are many individual students, from impoverished backgrounds, who exceed their wealthier peers, and they should be given every opportunity. But if you don’t think that, in macro terms, home matters, then I just ask you to name one. Name one school in DeKalb where the free/reduced lunch rate is 75% and above, that consistently outperforms an affluent school in DeKalb where the free/reduced lunch rate is 25% or below.
Just one.
You're kidding, right?
June 21st, 2009
5:31 pm
“You’re kidding can you name one other profession where the manager is held accountable for the results of the employees, when the employees are allowed to remain in the workplace after A) flat out refusing to work B) disrupting fellow workers C) cursing out manager when the manager tries to intervene and D) getting verbally and in many cases physically abusive with the manager. And can you name one other profession where the employee can do all of that, then be returned right back to the worksite without any consequences after a brief talk with the manager’s supervisor?”
uh – yes — teachers!! Let’s see – I can describe one teacher who was so upset at a kid for not knowing an answer to a math problem when called on that the teacher kicked a hole in his desk, angrily yelling at the kid! When the parent reported this to the principal – the principal said, “gee, I wondered how that hole got there”… end of report.
You're kidding, right?
June 21st, 2009
5:34 pm
I’ve seen teachers yelling at kids in hallways, virtually ignoring them in class (my son had a teacher who NEVER SPOKE to them – instead writing daily assignments on the board and demanding silence – (assumably so that he could plan his football teams moves). Yes – there are outrageous kids – but I truly know some dang nasty teachers — and they’re the ones who whine the loudest. You are the one who needs to exercise some honesty “let’s not”….
You're kidding, right?
June 21st, 2009
5:37 pm
Oh, and by the way – students are not “employees” – so it’s a bit of an odd comparison. But – since you insist – I know of a construction worker who threatened his supervisor with a knife – and was not fired by the big boss because he “needed him”…
How about cops? They have to deal with all kinds of humiliations – and much more danger. How about doctors? They have to treat anyone who comes in to the hospital – and often times – for free – only to turn around and get sued!
Let's not kid ourselves
June 21st, 2009
5:54 pm
You’re kidding I notice you did everything but answer the question I posed. You point out one or two alleged incidents, yet ignore the documented fact that thousands of discipline incidents have been swept under the rug in Georgia schools. That is not an isolated incident, that is documented evidence of a systemic dysfunction.
If you’re going to blast teachers as a whole, then tell us, what other profession holds managers accountable for the performance of those they supervise, yet allows those who are being supervised to routinely disrupt, disobey, verbally abuse and even physically assault the manager, with little to no consequences, and does this on a regular basis?
If you can’t name one other profession, then acknowledge that teachers operate under a systemic dysfunction when it comes to our school systems’ willingness to support their authority in the classroom.
Resolve
June 21st, 2009
5:59 pm
MACE deal in absolutes! Beware of anyone or organizations that deal in absolutes! Education is a people game. And when you deal with people, there are no absolutes!!!! For every kid that is out of control -calling teachers the b word or using the f word,- I can show you an educator (teacher, TA or administrator) that is also out of control.
Discipline is important and it should not be used as propaganda to recruit disgruntled teachers to a for profit organization!!!!
Evidence
June 21st, 2009
6:10 pm
Resolve you claim you can show us that for every student acting out, there is a teacher acting out. Then show us. Don’t tell us about isolated incidents. You said a one-to-one correlation, so show us.
Show us for example, even one study that indicates that the number of teachers who commit criminal acts on school property is equal to the number of students who commit criminal acts on school property.
If you can’t back up your claim with any evidence, they you yourself are guilty in trading in the same absolutes that you claim MACE is.
And as for your contention that lack of support for the classroom teacher is merely propaganda, how do you explain the documented evidence that some school systems have swept literally thousands of behavior incidents under the rug? That’s not propaganda, that is documented fact.
David Alexander
June 21st, 2009
6:50 pm
To Suggestion and all others who want to make any comment at all. Shut the h**l up. You are the cowards hiding behind your alias. While we do not agree with some posters postings, and while we make mistakes typing sometimes, these in no way say anything about who we are or anything else. Again, ” Shut the H*** up.
R. C. Rousseau
June 22nd, 2009
12:13 am
While we’re on the topic of cheating…..
My, oh my! Goldisox made off with the porridge in a three bear market!
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/jun/21/goldman-sachs-bonus-payments
Poor California government schools weren’t so lucky. THEY’RE JUST TOO BIG TO BAIL OUT!
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20090621/D98V7T001.html
Turd Ferguson
June 22nd, 2009
8:18 am
Dr Berry…Dr of what exactly? This Berry fellow is a con-artist and for you Pro-Berry idiots out there, well, that speaks for itself.
Turd Ferguson
June 22nd, 2009
12:37 pm
This is funny!! Im LMAO at these flunky idiots!!!
Turd Ferguson
June 22nd, 2009
12:39 pm
@ wuteva…
Whats wrong whatever? Cant stand a little of the truth eh. FACT IS FACT!
Y2Educate
June 22nd, 2009
8:27 pm
How about tracking students in grades 3/5/8, the grades when students must pass the CRCT in order to pass to the next grade? I wonder how many students have failed multiple times and continue to be passed on to the next grade. The figures for single occurrences are appalling. In these cases, we are CHEATING students out of the help they need.
I stopped teaching high school for various reasons, but the top two were; (1) I got tired of teaching HIGH SCHOOL students who had elementary reading levels, and (2) I figured I could try to be part of the solution since I was aware of the reading/writing skills that students would need in order to be successful in high school and beyond.
As for summer school, it is a joke depending on the situation. Last year when we had already made AYP before the session began, our summer school administrator had a zero tolerance for discipline issues. If you misbehaved, you went home and were told to come back for your retest. This year, because we are on the fence for making AYP, we are having to deal with the students who do not want to be there and whose parents/guardians offer little, no support, or their child knows how to make the teacher, other students, etc. look like they are the problems.
For example, a student called his dad, during break time, to bring him something he left at home. The next day, the teacher called his father because he was misbehaving. The student said that the teacher should not be calling his father and bothering his rest with nonsense. UNBELIEVABLE. The father came, sat in class and observed for 30 minutes, and of course during this time, the student was a model of excellence. How do you motivate students like this? I am a very caring teacher and hold my students’ failures as my responsibility. However, how can I be held accountable for students who don’t apply themselves in and out of the classroom? Students who do not use the proven strategies to help them excel? Students who just bubble anything because their buddies from the year before were passed on during the appeals process?
Sad State of Affairs
June 23rd, 2009
3:32 pm
It’s a terrible day when “good” people are tossed into the lion’s den as an example to cover up practices that are appear to be common place in the test environment—for many! “Making AYP” is high stakes! My heart goes out to these educators because they are being tried in the arena of popular opinion. My prayers are with them because they are definitely not in a class of TWO. There are others out there, and it’s unfortunate that they are being singled out as an example
Ideas
June 23rd, 2009
10:08 pm
Are majority of the staff in black schools black also? Why are they doing better than. It is a crazy question to think that black teachers can do a better job teaching black kids. When I was in a black school, I had parents take one look at me and request a black teacher. They had no idea what I could accomplish. Most of my kids made it into the gifted program. I have always wanted to ask this question. It seems that some races do a great job sticking together and caring for the kids, even if they are not their own. This should happen more in the african american race composed of largely african american teachers, so why doesn’t it work.
Ideas
June 23rd, 2009
10:13 pm
Sorry for the typos. I was asking why schools that have largely african american student populations do not do better when they are taught by largely african american staffs? What do the teachers in these schools have to say for themselves? I say move the teachers around if the school can’t get it together or get rid of them. Don’t let these teachers make excuses. I was white in a school and got sick of hearing about “our kids” when my class had the highest test scores in the end, not the african american teachers. I still teach there but I sure do want to know why they can’t teach and reach their own race. It would seem like they would do a better job “looking after their own”.
Ideas
June 23rd, 2009
10:18 pm
I apologize for the typos. I am a white teacher in a black school. My question is how come the schools that have large african american student populations and largely african american staffs doing much better? Why don’t they take care of their own better? What doe these teachers have to say for themselves? You would think the teachers would do it, then they can continue to brag and have a whole lot more Obamas out there, but I see them making the same old excuses as those who are not african american in criticizing these schools. If you are a black teacher, make a difference with black children. I know many of you think that white teacher down the hall can’t do it.
Cheat Away!
June 24th, 2009
4:41 pm
Nasty old AJC – why did they think this was the least bit interesting? – Crawford Lewis
Crawford sent out this Hot Flash to all DeKalb employees. Guess it shows what he thinks about cheating!
====================
INTEROFFICE MEMORANDUM
====================
To: All DeKalb Employees
From: Dr. Crawford Lewis, Superintendent
Subject: Message From the Superintendent
Date: 24 June 2009
As you know by now, Atherton Elementary School was recently implicated in the CRCT cheating scandal that has been a source of much publicity by the Atlanta Journal Constitution (AJC).
As Superintendent, I was both concerned and surprised that this investigation was elevated to the front page of Sunday’s AJC newspaper and warranted a probe by the District Attorney’s office. Dr. James Berry and Mrs. Doretha Alexander are good people who made a grave mistake. They both acknowledged their involvement and accepted their consequences. They have served the DeKalb School System with distinction for many years. It is important that you know that the school district was not consulted nor played any role in their recent arrests. While we do not condone their actions in any way, they should be allowed to move on with their lives.
DeKalb County School System is a family, and during difficult times family should come together. As a family, I am asking the entire system to reach out to Dr. Berry and Mrs. Alexander and show your support. An e-mail, card or phone call will go a long way towards showing Dr. Berry and Mrs. Alexander that we still care about them. The DeKalb County School System is a great school district working together to ensure that all of our students are successful and prepared to meet the challenges of the 21st Century.
—————
Distributed By
The DeKalb County Postmaster
CommunityNet
http://fc.dekalb.k12.ga.us
Rick in Va-Hi
June 25th, 2009
12:14 am
I was paddled–with a wooden paddle, and hard enough to leave a serious bruise–as a 14-year-old, when my PE teacher (and basketball coach) decided I was guilty of some infraction. I don’t remember what I did, but all these years later I remember the paddling, for sure! I didn’t have a dad, and this bit of corporal punishment–this one instance–straightened me right out. All these years later, I’m so grateful that he cared about me enough to want to set me right. If a teacher or admin paddled my son at school, I’d want to know exactly why, but I’d say I’m a supporter of the concept, and I won’t second-guess them if my son has it coming…. Resolve, you’re wrong about this issue. You’re just like my ex-wife. “Let’s talk it out.” “Spanking doesn’t solve anything.” “We can discipline in non-physical ways.”
Nope. Sometimes, fear –and only fear– brings about, in young boys in particular, the appropriate behavioral modification. It is our duty to be judicious and inflict the least possible physical pain to bring about cooperation and obedience, but bring them about we must. You must be too educated to see that–this is a matter of common sense and the acute observation of human nature at work, not something you can spout off about after reading a book about it.