APS principal goes before review board for role in CRCT cheating

This week an Atlanta Public Schools principal went before a tribunal regarding her role in cheating on the 2009 Criterion Reference Competency Test.

Dr. Selena Dukes-Walton failed to properly monitor the 2009 CRCT.

That’s directly from the State’s investigation.

Two teachers confessed to cheating and others say they witnessed misconduct.

In the report, Dr. Dukes-Walton is described as intimidating.  Still this week she told the tribunal, “I am not responsible for something I did not know about, “I’m not responsible for the teacher.”

That says Professor Jami Berry is beyond troubling:

“I think the question that we really need to be asking as opposed to that question is why didn’t you know?”

Dr. Berry is an assistant professor of educational leadership at Georgia State University:

“We’re not talking about a situation where one teacher cheated and it was a one time or even a two time, this was widespread cheating that was huge, there fore I don’t think that her argument holds water,” Berry continues.

The APS cheating scandal is a definitive case study for future educators says Dr. Berry.

She adds the scandal is a platform on how future educators should be trained for leadership positions.

“I think putting people in front of them who have walked the walk is hugely important in making those connections with strong leaders in schools that have great challenges.”

Another crucial factor is intensive ethics training.

Dr. Selena Dukes-Walton is just one of the 180-educators implicated in the cheating.

While the report did not charge former superintendent Dr. Beverly Hall with cheating, investigators say she and her cabinet should have known about it.

Dr. Berry says Hall is responsible for the culture.

“From the outside looking in I don’t see how she can’t be culpable I cant reconcile that in my mind when youre talking about systemic issue the level that we saw in APS.”

A decision regarding Dr. Dukes-Walton employment could be announced during next Monday’s board meeting.