Former APS official finds cheating scandal is hard to escape
The shadow of the APS cheating scandal is apparently hard to escape. Especially if you know how to use Google.
From the Connecticut Post: (This is an excerpt. Please read full story.)
BRIDGEPORT — A consultant brought in by Interim Schools Superintendent Paul Vallas to help fix the school district left days after she arrived when it was learned she was caught up in one of the nation’s largest cheating scandals.
Millicent Few, the former human resources director for the Atlanta school system, spent two days in the district, according to Vallas, who said he let her go Tuesday.
“She is not going to remain on the transition team. She is gone. She may be the most skilled person on the planet but I don’t need any controversy,” said Vallas.
Few, who was with the Atlanta system for a dozen years, resigned in July with a number of other system leaders amid a widespread standardized-test cheating scandal that reportedly involved 178 teachers and principals and 44 schools. According to a Atlanta School District investigation by the state of Georgia and released in June 2011, Few, on two occasions, “ordered those under her supervision to illegally destroy and alter public documents in order to hide evidence related to test cheating and misconduct.”
In published reports in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Few denied to investigators that she tampered with documents or ordered anyone else to do so.
Vallas said Few was recommend by Elizabeth Arons, a New York-based human resources consultant for school districts who also does work with the Gates Foundation Human Capital Reforms. The cheating scandal was brought up, but Vallas said he was told Few was outstanding and “was an innocent casualty” of the cheating controversy. He said he has since done more online research.
“The newspaper articles and the online network suggests otherwise, although we cannot attest to the veracity of those accusations,” Vallas said. “I felt and we mutually agreed her services would not be in her best interest at this time.”
Vallas said that he will have to step up the search for a permanent human resources director. “This time I’ll do a Google search,” Vallas said.
–From Maureen Downey, for the AJC Get Schooled blog
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44 comments Add your comment
Former APS Teacher
February 15th, 2012
12:54 pm
Karma’s a….well, you know.
Me
February 15th, 2012
1:09 pm
Gates Foundation Human Capital Reforms
???
Gates turns up in this stuff way too much
HS Public Teacher
February 15th, 2012
1:15 pm
Isn’t this a good thing?
When an individual does something like this, it speaks to their character. The character of a person is especially important in an HR position.
She may have the most years of experience and the most education, etc., but since her character has been exposed, I won’t hire her!
Raquel Morris
February 15th, 2012
1:24 pm
“Innocent casualty”?? Please. The only innocent casualties here were the countless Atlanta children who were robbed of their one best shot at a high quality public education.
redweather
February 15th, 2012
1:34 pm
“robbed of their one best shot at a high quality public education”? They might have needed to attend schools in another district, or another country for that matter, if they had their sights set on one of those.
Dekalb taxpayer
February 15th, 2012
2:05 pm
At some point, Dekalb will probably hire her and pay her twice what she was making before.
Principal Skinner
February 15th, 2012
2:15 pm
Dekalb taxpayer:
Awesome!
The STRONG Man
February 15th, 2012
2:16 pm
nuff said…
http://indictmillicentfew.com/
catlady
February 15th, 2012
2:16 pm
What goes around… Maybe her 2 days” pay should go toward repaying APS
carlosgvv
February 15th, 2012
2:20 pm
Looks like these former APS officials are finding out other States are not as dumb as Georgia and won’t turn a blind eye at those who cheat.
Mwa ha ha ha...
February 15th, 2012
2:30 pm
This news story just made my day.
…however, why is Millicent Few able to apply for jobs at all? There has to be a better sytstem in place than a Google search. Her (Millicent Few’s) record shoud follow her around like a credit repot and just like a criminal report. Her rap sheet should come with her and why oh why is she not in jail yet?
As rachel says, my mind and sould ache for those innocent children who were cheated out of an education. Where is justice for them? Why aren’t they getting extra help in the form of tutoring or some other type of assistance to try to get them the help they need?
Justice is still not served but I’m waiting with baited breath for the trials to begin. Oh PLEASE pick me for jury duty !
Good ma
At that a Biotch
February 15th, 2012
2:36 pm
All i can say is
“What goes around, comes around!” It’s going to be hard of all of them to find jobs. Sow GOOD seeds, because one day you will definitely reap what you sow!
PappyHappy
February 15th, 2012
2:50 pm
Maureen, this stain is not going to go away until such time as the entire system is CLEANED OUT. This includes bringing Beverly Hall back to stand to account of her personal involvement. Her acceptance of, and refusal to return over $500,000 in bonus money for fraudulently increasing scores speaks volumes to her lack of integrity and CHEATING THOUSANDS OF KIDS.
This stain is going to serve as an impediment to job growth in Atlanta. Paul Howard’s foot dragging is not helping. His wife should step aside, and go teach somewhere else. All of the teachers who have been implicated should be pursuing other careers, and GET OUT OF TEACHING IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS. Any system worth their salt will check their background, and they probably will not be contracted.
We are merely putting off the inevitable! The AJC has done an excellent job in their investigation of this rat’s nest. Now is time for a follow up to see who is HOLDING UP JUSTICE.
Grob Hahn
February 15th, 2012
3:03 pm
Ms. Few and Ms. Hall are racists. They used their position to cheat predominantly black students out of an education and managed to do so while turning a profit from it. If these women had been white, there would be calls for their heads from the black community. But since they are black, they get a pass. Where’s the outrage? And who are the children who were literally cheated from grade 1 to grade 12 by these evil women? I’d say there’s a class action suit waiting to be made against the city for allowing this to happen for SO long. Will someone please put some of these terrible people in jail? NOW!!!!!!
Grobbbbbbbbbbbbbb
Grob Hahn
February 15th, 2012
3:04 pm
PS: The only jobs these people deserve are making license plates!
mahopinion
February 15th, 2012
3:09 pm
Are we supposed to be sad that her past caught up to her?
MiltonMan
February 15th, 2012
3:24 pm
She will find a place in some other school district. Remember “If you can’t; teach.”
Ashamed by Association
February 15th, 2012
3:33 pm
The arrogance of this loser to think that someone else should hire her to work around children. I would wager that the only “skill set” she possesses is the ability to lie, cheat and steal. She is a criminal and a disgrace to this city and state.
Mad Russian
February 15th, 2012
3:37 pm
Karma has come back for Ms. Few. Good luck with your attempts at a career. As for MiltonMan, don’t insult educators with the “if you can’t, teach.” It’s a job that requires dedication and care. I challenge you to attempt to become a teacher and understand what we go through everyday. Your attitude is the one of the many reasons why teachers are not getting the respect and support they deserve. You can take your elitist position towards educators and stick it somewhere.
Mad Russian
February 15th, 2012
3:40 pm
Of course in my frustration I end up with typos. Ouch.
Principal Belding
February 15th, 2012
3:46 pm
How did she land that job in the first place? Did she blame it on “the other Millicent Few”?
Ashamed by Association
February 15th, 2012
3:46 pm
..And if it were within my power I would fire Elizabeth Arons on the spot..PERIOD.
Criminal Minds
February 15th, 2012
3:53 pm
I am still wondering why folks like Jeffery Thomas, Risk Manager and Sharon Pitts, Chief of Staff are still employed along with some other questionable characters are still in high places at the APS. They were in the mess and are still hanging around with some other criminals. I can’t wait till Mr. Davis
escort them out of the CLL building soon.
Sandy Springs Parent
February 15th, 2012
3:58 pm
I just got back from volunteering to Chaparone a Sandy Springs Middle School Choir in a Choir middle school competition this mornining at Benjamin May’s High School. I was personally schocked how beautiful the school was. The school grounds both inside and out side where nice and immaculate. I have been to Both Campbell the IB School in Cobb, Wheeler in Cobb and to Riverwood the IB school in Fulton. All three of those schools two of which have their recepective county premier IB programs, are out dated and in disrepair. They also tend to be filthy. I was shocked when I went to go to the Bathroom at Mays and their were doors on the Bathroom. Yes there were exterior doors on the bathroom, and stall doors that were new and gratfitti free. There were also mirrors in the restrooms and papertowels and blowers available. I have to say a big kudo’s to the maintenance and security staff at Mays. I also did not see any disruptive or even non disruptive students running all over the school at Mays during the entire 4 hours of our visit and I only saw 1 resourse officer. I have never been to the other 3 schools without seeing some sort of chaos, and they are some of the better schools with IP and Magnet programs on the North side of town.
Now the one thing it is a scary drive getting to Mays, the school had all chaparones on the bus, and they did hire a subsitute district teacher for each bus as well as a minimum of 3 parents for each bus. As we were leaving, I did have to tell some niave mid 30+ year old blonde mother of an 11/12 that the finger flashes she and her child thought she was making at the black me on the street were not “nothing at all”. Have her quit immediately, she is flashing gang symbols. The mother looks at me at what, I said yes she is I have a 17 year old, and she points them out all the time to me in pictures that stupid white kids naively post on the web, or you see certain Rappers flash. Luckily, once we got on the high way the kids were content with getting truckers to blow their air horns.
What I am trying to say APS, has built and thier lower paid staff is doing a marvoulous job maintaining some wonder facilities for their students to learn in. It is too bad these crooked administrators reverted to stealing. What could we do on the Northside if we had some of these Facilities. The same thing in Dekalb.
My older daughter has been telling me over the last 2-3 years as she goes to cheerlead and manage baseball that they go to some schools in APS and South Dekalb that have just amazing facilities. Riverwood, has to against firecode have all the kids walk one way in the halls, I dread if a fire broke out, since this violates firecode. The halls weren’t designed one way. Campbell and Wheeler are just absolute pits, Cobb County ought to be ashamed at the disrepar of those schools.
Ed Johnson
February 15th, 2012
4:17 pm
Gates Foundation Human Capital Reforms
There’s that disgusting term, again… “Human Capital”
How can anybody in the 21st Century be so callous and insensitive?
Lulu
February 15th, 2012
4:19 pm
Sandy Springs Parent
Do you have a point relative to this discussion? If so I totally missed it. Beautiful buildings and greounds do not make a school good or bad. You should go inside some ivy halls of the highest rated Universities in the world and see some are still heated by fireplaces. and in bad shape physically but they turn out well/ the most highly educated students because their faculty is quality!!!!!!!
chillywilly
February 15th, 2012
4:19 pm
@ Dekalb Taxpayer – I’ve learned that APS CFO, Chuck Burbridge, is working a couple of days a week for Dekalb County School System. Dekalb just recently reassigned their CFO and is currently advertising for a new CFO. If I was Dekalb, I wouldn’t touch Burbridge with a 10 foot pole. He and Millicent Few were Beverly Hall’s cabinet members. I’m amazed that Supt. Erroll Davis has not terminated Burbridge and some of those other shady characters in APS Finance. What are you waiting for, Mr. Davis. Dekalb Schools, don’t be a fool.
John from Little Five Points
February 15th, 2012
4:22 pm
You lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas. Sorry, I have NO sympathy for these people,
C Jae of EAV
February 15th, 2012
4:57 pm
Score one for the public school adminstrator with some integrity and backbone. He could have easily allowed Few to remain a high paid consultant ($500 per hour for an experienced HR perso WOW !!! I’m definately in the wrong business).
Less we forget the present interim super of APS permitted the re-hire of Kathy Augustine and I can’t think of any central office employee under Dr. Hall more complict in the testing scandal.
All of those in authority over what occurred to either ignored it, allowed the atmosphere that created it or flat out incouraged it need to where a professional scarlet letter for what remains of their career as educational professionals. Buyer beware !!!
C Jae of EAV
February 15th, 2012
5:06 pm
@ Sandy Springs Parent – There is no question that APS is the king of building new school facilities, if they have done nothing else within the last 10 years, they have poured tens of millions into new facilities across the district. Having recently visited Mays myself within the last couple of weeks, the building is nothing short of stunning. And there are others across APS equally as stunning. Alas, if local districts were judged on estetics of their buildings then APS would be near the top of the list.
Hmm...
February 15th, 2012
5:14 pm
Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! She is a low down dirty …
Star
February 15th, 2012
5:37 pm
The problem with this is the people who are found innocent or who were falsely accused by people covering their own behinds will have major lawsuits due to the slander of the whole report. APS, GDOE, and individual people will be looking at some serious lawsuits because their names were put in a report that was touted as true when their were so many mistakes and gossip like accusations. (You should read the whole thing) Its sad that Hall allowed it to get this far knowing the type of messiness in her district. This is the quiet before the storm.
Atlanta Mom
February 15th, 2012
6:11 pm
Hard to believe anyone would hire an individual with APS on his/her resume and not google that applicant’s name.
chance
February 15th, 2012
6:20 pm
Innocent casualty my backside….these administrators in public education are the same as corporate managers who manage numbers to a degree. They know when numbers are lying, when the numbers don’t make sense but at the same time, those same numbers make them look favorably and put them in a position for compensation increase based on those numbers. Some had direct knowledge, some just looked the other way. From what I have seen, the majority caught in this scandal are minorities in these high level positions, the same minorities who were overseeing a minority based student enrollment that was a majority under their watch. Didn’t have the minority childrens best interest at heart did they? They not only cheated the system, the taxpayer, the parents, but more importantly, the innocent children. I wouldn’t hire one of them to wash my car!!! JERKS!!!!! Self serving JERKS!!!
Gwinnettian
February 15th, 2012
6:21 pm
Two weeks ago on a Friday APS employees in finance, HR, and most all of the 8th floor received pink slips. The top levels in APS are being reorganized. Everyone who received the pink slip has to re-apply for one of the new positions. This is a good thing. Erroll Davis is no dummy – he is trying to right the ship! He realizes he is not getting the truth from many who intercept his call and mail. It will take some time, but he is steering APS in the right direction!
Lanteesha
February 15th, 2012
6:22 pm
“He said he has since done more online research.”
He hired her as a consultant to help fix his school district without doing any due diligence? He needs to answer to his school board.
Wondering
February 15th, 2012
10:02 pm
The APS reorg should help Mr. Davis idenitify the people willing to work the right way, and those that are dead weight. Dead weight will be gone. He is also aligning his senior staff to the priorities of the System, not keeping an inherited structure that was too heavy in some areas and light in others. The man knows what he’s doing but it takes time. In the mean time, don’t paint all APS employees with the ‘bad person brush.’ Many are hard working professionals looking for senior leadership to provide direction.
Leila Johnson
February 15th, 2012
11:52 pm
Judging people without the facts is wrong. If criminal activity had really taken place, everyone would be in jail. The GBI has not prosecuted anyone because they have nothing. It’ s so sad to see people suffer because of guilt by association. They want Beverly and they can’t get her so they want to attempt to ruin everyone else. It is amazing that people form negative opinions of people they don’t ever know.
Beverly Hall didn;t act alone by Good Ma
February 16th, 2012
8:26 am
Leila Johson, Beveraly Hall didn’t act alone. Her big fat butt could not be hauled around to every scholl and classroom to change those test scores. She had help. She had lots and lots of help in people willing to do anything for money.
You complain that “It is amazing that people form negative opinions of people they don’t ever know.”
I never knew Hitler either but I have a negative opinion of him. He died before I was born but we have evidence of his crimes.
Al Capone is guilty too. I don’t need to know him to know he is guilty. Ther is evidence just as there is evidence of Beverly Hall’s crimes.
Beverly Hall did nto perpetuate this crime by herself. She had hundreds of people willing to sell their souls for a thousand dollars.
When you defend the indefensible, you cast doubt on yourself. If I had to guess, you are a cheater too.
To Lanteesha from Good Ma
February 16th, 2012
8:28 am
You made an excellent point that bears repeating “He said he has since done more online research.”
He hired her as a consultant to help fix his school district without doing any due diligence? He needs to answer to his school board.”
Yes, yes, yes!
you hit the nail on the head.
How bad is the background checking in public schools? How did this criminal ever get past the first layer of screening? It’s apalling.
Very well said, Lanteesha.
Observer
February 16th, 2012
12:13 pm
@ Leila Johnson, from GM, 8:26 am: “When you defend the indefensible, you cast doubt on yourself. If I had to guess, you are a cheater too.”
Ah, it’s Good Mother, the cyberbaiter again, once again smearing all who suggest following the 5th Amendment of our Constitution.
Dekalbite@C jae of EAV
February 16th, 2012
10:44 pm
“Less we forget the present interim super of APS permitted the re-hire of Kathy Augustine and I can’t think of any central office employee under Dr. Hall more complict in the testing scandal.”
That’s shocking. Surely Augustine was not hired back.
From AJC article July 12, 2011:
“”The investigation, ordered by former Gov. Sonny Perdue last year, found that “Augustine either knew or should have known cheating and other misconduct was occurring….
Investigators said that Augustine, who oversaw daily classroom instruction, authorized a letter to state officials falsely claiming no evidence of cheating existed at one school and that she illegally kept a report from Atlanta media that suggested cheating took place at some schools.”
Thomas
February 17th, 2012
9:15 am
One man’s trash is another mans treasure. Educational doom from coast to coast for public schools!!
WideAwake
February 17th, 2012
10:21 am
It is implicitly implied that teachers must do whatever it takes; so the school system can make AYP. It is the new culture; even if the teacher knows the student is reading well below grade level; how can a student actually pass?
Cheating is never the answer but the system doesn’t care. It is not a business of educating but one of making AYP at any cost.