The Westminster Schools in Atlanta, Georgia, is among the countless schools, institutions and businesses that created diversity, equity, and inclusion training amid the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement in the summer of 2020. And so, teachers were really put between a rock and a hard place, because here you have a GBI agentand, mind you, there were no attorneys present. Many of the defendants a mixture of Atlanta public school teachers, testing coordinators and administrators were also convicted of other charges, such as making false statements, that could add years to their sentences. Parents near Atlanta, Georgia are fighting back against curriculum and cultural shifts taking place at one of the areas top private Christian school, according to documents reviewed by the Daily Caller. AMY GOODMAN: And, Anna, why did you get involved with Shani in writing this book, None of the Above? The school created an equity and inclusion page on its website, began bragging about its diversity rate and vowed to endow $5 million in funds for a school-wide commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice., Some parents initially believed the effort towards positive words such as diversity or inclusion would be helpful. But, in fact, they would have had to have given up their constitutional right to appeal. There is a good teacher to student ratio, and kids are often able to get one on one help with teachers. ANNA SIMONTON: Well, in a broad sense, it poses a questionWho is really cheating these children?if we think about cheating in terms of a lack of opportunity. But the Denver Classroom Teachers Association is still demanding the district rely less on bonuses and instead focus on financial security for educators. By Motoko Rich. Go back to 2013. What kind of a message did that send across the country to educators everywhere? Ahhh, the handwringing of the wealthy. JUAN GONZLEZ: And, Shani, what about the local elected officials? And they have made this decision, and they havethey havetheyve not fared well. And so, its hard to believe that a judge can be impartial after doing so many things like that. Dr. Hall, who died on March 2, insisted that she had done nothing wrong and that her approach to education, which emphasized data, was not to blame. Democracy Now! And I say, No, I cant explain this. And then he asked me: Well, did any administrators or the principal ever place any pressure on me to cheat on my students test booklets? AMY GOODMAN: Shani, talk about what happened to you, how this impacted you. Thanks so much for joining us. Once inside the lobby, take the elevator to the 20th floor. We need more data-driven education instruction as an alternative. But more important is that my middle school counselor was actually convicted in this case. I also think that theres this, you know, in the sort of resurgence of this education justice movement, a focus on black educators, in particular, with things like the Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action. Theyre rife with corruption. To see our full interview with Maria Ressa, you can go to democracynow.org. However, non-profit educational institutions must refrain from partisan political activity. According to Clarkson, the circumstances surrounding the incident, including the existence of any witnesses, are fuzzy. Clarkson stated that police instructed the school to back off and allow law enforcement to take over all investigative efforts. So, what we cant figure out is why teachers in Atlanta were slapped with felony charges. Coming amid a political groundswell against academic standards known as the Common Core, the scandal was just one factor in an increasing debate over testing and its role in education. JUAN GONZLEZ: Well, no, I just wanted to ask, in terms of some of the key figuresfor instance, the Atlanta superintendent of schools was also charged and eventually ended up passing away before. Sonny Perdue ultimately ordered an investigation. He is currently an advisor to theEducational Liberty Allianceand a co-host ofChalkboard Heresy(launching soon) Please send tips and stories to[emailprotected]or DM on Twitter at@pauldrossi. SHANI ROBINSON: I was pregnant during the entire 8-month trial. Examples cited include teachers allegedly denigrating Trump as a candidate, voicing wishes that Trump die from COVID, and assignments that favored Democrats. Copyright 2008-2023, Legal Insurrection, All Rights Reserved. SHANI ROBINSON: Mine was one of the lowest. This was a long-running trend beginning in the early 1990s, when high-stakes testing began to be utilized in school districts, like Houstons. Two of those nine, Tamara Cotman Johnson and Angela Williamson, went directly to the appeals court, lost, and reported for prison in October 2018.[18]. WebCheating: Atlantas School Scandal. Others were. Even in those cases, one is only eligible for parole after serving 30 years. Well talk more about it in a minute. I wish more people would take actions like this. Now, this happensthese indictments come down in the middle of the Obama administration. [4] The size of the scandal has been described as one of the largest in United States education history. But it was really codified in federal law in 2001 with No Child Left Behind, which was signed by George W. Bush. WebWestminster's boys and girls soccer teams have won the most state championships in Georgia High School history. I think people will stop, and they will make an assessment of our educational system.. Nine were sentenced to jail but rejected sentencing agreements in order to appeal. I dont think either one of us believed it would actually happen.. Valet Parking District and union negotiators worked late into the night Tuesday on a potential agreement, including a base salary of $45,800 a year for educators. (RELATED: Massachusetts Public School District Must End Race-Based Affinity Groups Following Lawsuit). Theyre, in my view, a waste of time. I dont like to send anybody to jail, Judge Baxter said after he ordered that the educators be detained until sentencing. Fourteen of those states, it was considered to be widespread. SHANI ROBINSON: I actually think it was devastating, because teachers were constantly having to teach toward the test. WebWestminster is an inclusive, Christian independent day school for boys and girls, where bright, motivated, curious students who are nurtured by challenge become leaders of conscience. If you do that you lose your status. SHANI ROBINSON: Correct. Let the current accreditation bodies do the pedagogy heavy lifting but require a few simple standards for State approval. Rossi, you rock! Lord Lawson was educated at Westminster School in London and Christ Church, Oxford, where he gained a first in PPE. One parent argued that the policy was being used as an excuse to insert anti-racist curriculum into the classroom. Beverly L. Hall, the former superintendent of Atlanta Public Schools. I, like many people, watched the convictions handed down, not having really followed the trial. Were continuing our discussion with the authors of the brand-new book None of the Above: The Untold Story of the Atlanta Public Schools Cheating Scandal, Corporate Greed, and the Criminalization of Educators. Hudson left Westminster following the introduction of woke ideology. This will go before the Secretary of State who should stop the resegregation and racist hatred the Dems are proposing. The actions are the latest in a wave of teachers strikes that began last year in Republican-controlled states like West Virginia, Oklahoma and Arizona. They also are No. Although Clarkson stated the school was fully cooperating with police investigation, the email contained very few details about the alleged assault. [7], Prior to the scandal, the APS had been lauded for making significant gains in standardized test scores. Commitment to free speech, expression and academic inquiry, prohibition on partisan political activity, Parental rights remain paramount and so on. Its not one of the things I get a kick out of. The school was in a run-down neighborhood three miles south of downtown that was plagued by armed robberies. And some of the same people who were involved in blowing this so-called cheating scandal out of proportion have contributed to the harm of black communities historically. The Westminster Schools did not respond to the Daily Callers request for comment. The 2019 boys team also finished the season ranked #1 in the The only downside is that there is not a ton of diversity. WebWestminster is a coeducational Christian, independent day school for grades pre-first through 12, committed to creating an educational experience where bright, curious, The full text of the letter is available on Wokeminster, a dissident parent groups website. And when they went into the schools, teachers were pulled from their classrooms and interrogated, so there really were no attorneys present. Any school, private or public which violates these is subject to revocation of its authority to operate. Where were they when all of this was happening? AMY GOODMAN: And can you talk about the racial disparities in this case34 of the 35 people charged, including Shani, African-American? 19 in college prep; and No. In Washington, D.C., there were 103 schools that were flagged for highsuspiciously high erasures or test scores. The Westminster School did send an email to parents, school trustees, and staff on Monday afternoon informing them of the police investigation. It was also financially draining. Roy Barneswho is hammering out his statewide school reform effortto corporate leaders, college presidents, and parents considering whether to entrust their children to the urban public schools. So, just this push and this overemphasis of high-stakes testing, and even how its led to racketeering charges, you know, I just think that it was blown way out of proportion. Thirty-four of the 35 educators indicted in the scandal were African-American. Police were called from the hospital. Could you talk about the pressures that were put on educators, and not only on the educators, but their supervisors, their principals and their superintendents, during this period of time? WebAddress and Phone Number for The Westminster Schools, a Private School, at West Paces Ferry Road Northwest, Atlanta GA. Name The Westminster Schools Suggest Edit Address 1424 West Paces Ferry Road Northwest Atlanta , Georgia , 30327 Phone 404-355-8673 Map of The Westminster Schools in Atlanta, Georgia ATLANTA In a dramatic conclusion to what has been described as the largest cheating scandal in the nations history,a jury here on Wednesday convicted 11 educators for their roles in a standardized test cheating scandal that tarnished a major school districts reputation and raised broader questions about the role of high-stakes testing in American schools. After a certain amount, its like statistically improbable, outside of human intervention. AMY GOODMAN: Have No Fear by the Filipino musician Noel Cabangon. He described Ms. Evans as shocked and devastated., We certainly talked about the possibility that this would happen, he said. And so, thats why it was, you know, this big talk about how we had cheated the children. Some of my co-defendants were facing prison sentences of up to 40 years. An art teacher allegedly urged his students to draw President Trump as a fascist giving a salute characteristic of Hitler. She is appealing her conviction. AMY GOODMAN: Shani Robinson has written a new book on the cheating scandal, with journalist Anna Simonton. Webwestminster.net (404) 355-8673 1424 WEST PACES FERRY RD NW ATLANTA, GA 30327 About The Westminster Schools AP Offered Christian Elem School High School Middle But other similar reforms have been put forward to continue those attempts. And its very clear if legal action will ensue. The Atlanta Public Schools cheating scandal refers to the accusation that teachers and principals in the Atlanta Public Schools (APS) district cheated on state-administered standardized tests in 2009 and to the subsequent trial in 20142015. Create a simple neutral standard for political content as part of State level accreditation. ANNA SIMONTON: If anything, this has reinforced the kind of corporate education reforms that we feel contributed to the conditions that created the cheating scandal. WebIn June 2020, The Westminster Schools, an elite Atlanta K-12 prep school, pledged $5 million from its endowment for anti-racism, leaving parents stunned but garnering few [8] The GBI's report said Hall "knew or should have known" about the scandal. A new superintendent was installed last summer. AMY GOODMAN: Lets go to Beverly Hall, the Atlanta School Districts former superintendent, among those charged, was painted by some as the one who orchestrated the test cheating. The case has fueled criticism of the education systems reliance on standardized testing, and elicited calls of racism. And so we feel that the criminalization of black teachers was just the next chapter in that legacy. She maintained her innocence. 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