Special Report: Almost Two-Thirds of APS Schools Implicated in Cheating in Southwest Atlanta

Almost two-thirds of the 44 schools implicated in the Atlanta Public Schools test cheating scandal are in greater southwest Atlanta and set to receive new principals by Wednesday, according to a Cascade Patch review of a state investigation and school district records.

Seventeen elementary and four middle schools within the boundaries of Cascade Patch (see Editor’s Note below) were identified in the investigators' report, first published in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, as having “severe concern” for cheating.

According to the state, this rating indicates “24.5% or more of the testing classrooms at the school were flagged with wrong-to-right changes that fell above the state average.” The southwest Atlanta schools with the “severe concern” status are:

• Adamsville
• Beecher Hills
• Capitol View
• Cascade
• Cleveland
• Connally
• Deerwood
• Dunbar
• F.L. Stanton
• Fain
• Fickett
• Finch
• Gideons
• Kennedy Middle
• Parks Middle
• Perkerson
• Peyton Forest
• Turner Middle (closing)
• Usher Middle
• Venetian Hills
• West Manor

In addition, two elementary schools and two middle schools in the Cascade Patch area, were flagged for “moderate concern,” in the report. According to the state, this status translates to “10.5%- 24.4% of classrooms in this school flagged with wrong-to-right changes that fell above the state average.” These schools are:

• Harper-Archer Middle
• Kimberly
• Miles
• Young Middle

Two elementary schools and two middle schools in the Cascade Patch community were found to have “minimal concern” or an indication of “5.5%-10.4% of classrooms in this school flagged with wrong-to-right changes that fell above the state average.” These schools are:

• Brown Middle
• Bunche Middle
• Continential Colony
• Sylvan Hills

Late last week, Atlanta Public Schools interim Superintendent Erroll Davis sent letters to all 178 employees, including the 44 principals of the schools, named in the test-cheating scandal giving them the option of resignation or termination by Wed., July 20.

APS spokesman Keith Bromery has said the district will start termination proceedings after Wednesday, July 20, against those who decide to stay on and fight for their jobs.

School board At-Large member Courtney English said after a Douglass High School forum last week that Davis plans to have interim principals in place for all 44 schools by Aug. 8, the first day of school.

Employees have contractual and legal rights to due process, according to the AJC. According to state law, when a district moves to suspend or fire a teacher, principal or other district employee, the employee is entitled to a hearing to defend himself or herself. The employee can also appeal to the state.

Some educators are fighting for their jobs. Earlier this month, three Finch Elementary teachers issued a statement through their attorney denouncing the report's assertion that they changed test answers, and they vowed to fight to "clear our names," according to a report in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Meanwhile, Atlanta defense attorney Bruce Harvey, who represents six APS educators, has criticized investigators for disclosing the names of those who exercised their Fifth Amendment rights, the AJC reported.

Editor’s Note: Cascade Patch is loosely bound by I-20 to the north, I-85 to the east (excluding College Park and East Point, except the Marketplace), Camp Creek Parkway on the south around to Fulton Industrial to the west.  Some addresses for charter schools on the investigators’ report could not be located at press time and/or identified as falling within Cascade Patch boundaries. Cascade Patch is preparing any necessary updates for later this week.