(Nobody asked me to write this. I am doing so out of my deep, decade+ long love for a great elementary school and the leaders/teachers there that I know, love, and respect.)
No need in hiding it.
Frank L. Stanton Elementary School is my favorite school in Atlanta – always has been since I started serving there in 1997 as a 17 year old freshman @ Morehouse. It’s where we have hosted THIS for the past 2 years! The school is small, has awesome leaders, a history of good ‘ol fashioned hard work, and…
IS BEING WRONGLY PUNISHED/BULLIED by Dr. Beverly Hall and the Atlanta Public School System. I believe this with my heart, but what I want to tell you RIGHT NOW is that I believe it with my analytical mind too.
Just one day before the school year started, Dr. Marlo Barber (a wonderful, intelligent, hardworking leader and educator) was wrongly removed from her post as Principal of FL Stanton Elementary School and hastily replaced with (another victim) someone that has never been a principal in her life. This has created a feeling of instability at Stanton Elementary School, has caused teachers and students a TON of stress, and was the absolute wrong thing to do.
Many schools around Georgia seemed to have been caught cheating on standardized tests. After further review, it was determined that these accusations were untrue, or not provable, for many schools first thought to be cheating. In the Atlanta Public School System, twelve schools have been singled out for cheating. It appears that many of these schools, in some form or another did indeed cheat on tests. Eyewitnesses testified to it. Teachers told on other teachers. Students reported incidents of being told to erase and change answers, but NONE OF THIS HAPPENED @ Stanton Elementary School.
Here is the official investigative report for all of the schools. Stanton is on page 21. No teachers, no students, no parents, no administrators EVER told of any cheating incidents. Period!
If you are not yet aware of this controversy, it is in the weekend edition of the NY Times.
Here are 5 reasons why I believe this was a MAJOR MISTAKE:
1. I have had many teachers from FL Stanton that are members of the church I lead (and some that are not) tell me in private confidence, after I asked them to be completely honest and upfront with me, that they are 100% sure that Dr. Marlo Barber DID NOT & WOULD NOT…EVER ask any teachers to cheat on any tests. Furthermore, they all told me without fail that Dr. Barber regularly just encouraged them to be amazing teachers and that the test scores would fall into place.
2. Unlike other schools that were penalized, not one eyewitness, confidential or otherwise, implicates Stanton Elementary of cheating in any capacity.
3. The only evidence that exists, according to the report, is an increase in erasure marks in two grade levels. And here is the crazy thing – 40% of the erasure marks STILL HAVE THE WRONG ANSWER!!!! The “experts” say that number is too good to believe.
4. The “experts” say that because test scores dropped the following year, this is firm proof of cheating – not only is this faulty logic, but teachers have told me that specifically that the following year that the stress level for students and teachers was artificially high because students were hastily moved to other classrooms with other teachers at the last minute for testing, that “guest monitors” were roaming hallways and classrooms, and that this stress alone had an impact on scores – not to mention the regular possibility that test scores simply go up and down.
5. I know Dr. Barber. I know the teachers of Stanton. They are honest. They love God. They love students. They are not cheaters.
I am siding with Stanton Elementary School on this and have decided to get behind teachers and parents there and to help them organize to fight off this outrageous attack on the school we love and the principal we believe in. Dr. Marlo Barber should be immediately returned to her post as principal of her school, an apology should be issued to her and the teachers, students, and parents, and this should be done right away.
Dr. Beverly Hall and crew – you have made a huge mistake with Stanton Elementary and have penalized the students and some amazing employees in the process. We are going to stand strongly for the people we believe in. We will not be quiet and allow you to unfairly railroad good people that our kids need.
{ 3 comments }
Wow. I am the first to post. I am sure that many of the educators reassigned and reported to the state have been done so as a formality. There are things that have to be done to ensure fidelity, not only for the school, but the district as well. Now, after reading the report several times and actually being an educator and leader, you have to understand that Dr. Hall had to take some form of action. She had to reassign these principals pending the PSC investigation and she had to report those named to the PSC. If not, she could have lost her certificate. It is unlawful to sit back and do nothing. You also have to understand that many of the people named could have really been guilty, even if they were not at Stanton. Please try to be open-minded and fair. Once the PSC reports their findings and clears those that they find innocent, business will resume as usual, but you cannot say that you know what a person is capable of, just because you see them in the religious and professional arenas. You would be amazed how different people really are behind closed doors.
I find the erasure thing idiotic. Good teachers- esp at the elementary level- ALWAYS tell their students to check their work at the end of a test. That is drilled into every elementary student in TX anyway… and probably in GA, too.
I worked under Dr Barber some yrs ago before leaving ATL, and no teacher or her would help the children cheat on the test. The teachers and the whole staff worked hard together; also treated the children like family!!!! The devil is always busy.