Sentencing: Atlanta Cheating Scandal: Three Ex-Educators Sentenced to Seven Years

Hard to diversify their skill set when many of these schools give teachers a specific curriculum to follow. But, I didn't say these individuals are without blame... I'm saying they're not the only ones to blame.

 

Large quantities? I didn't realize these teachers were all millionaires now on their ill-begotten gains. Sure the fraud was big, and the teachers took bonuses they didn't deserve. But, their personal benefit here is quite small in the grand scheme of things -- job security and little extra money at christmas time.

 

So educators cheated students education for their own personal financial gain and the debate is about standardized tests. Brilliant.

 

Not "WE", the government... And I agree with you 100%... Many teachers hands are completely tied (speaking in terms of certain public schools).

 

Man, I don't really get this story no matter how many times I try.

 

I'm not really sure the students were impacted at all. I haven't seen any allegation that the teachers didn't teach their classes. I would not be at all surprised if the teachers did their level best to educate and also fudged the numbers at the end of the testing. Now you could say that the corrupted data hid the educational problems at the school so that remedial actions couldn't be taken to improve the schools' quality. But, do you believe that whatever remedial actions that would have been taken would actually be effective at increasing education levels? I don't. Or maybe the doctored data kept bad teachers from getting replaced by good teachers. If these teachers had been fired, do you really think the replacements would have been significantly better? I doubt it; and I doubly doubt that even if the replacements were better, the impacts on students' futures would be significantly different. Maybe the kids, alarmed at their poor results in standardized exams would try harder, and thereby set themselves up for a better future. Lol. The problems we have in education run deeper than personnel and school initiatives. We're pushing a very large rock with a very small stick, and now we're blaming the guy holding the stick because the rock doesn't move.

 

This is the only motivation the teachers had to teach. Financial and job security incentives. I'm going to win anyways, why play hard?

Giving false grades is very destructive no matter how bleak your view is of the educational system. I think the main problem is motivation of students but these felons also torpedoed that. If a teach knows the fix is in why push students.

These teachers are horrible people, the fact that the majority wouldn't admit guilt and apologize for their actions in exchange for house arrest just confirms that for me.

 

I don't know these individuals. Most teachers I know are motivated by an intrinsic desire to teach and raise up children, even putting in hours or money not required of them so that they can be as effective as possible for their kids. I can see the two phenomena coexisting easily because there is a dual work/reward dynamic going on: (1) teach kids and feel good about making a difference in their lives, and (2) cheat on your tests, get bonuses and job security. But, I don't know these teachers. Maybe these teachers were just there for the paycheck, they didn't know any other way to make money, and were just mailing it in.

 

There's no bonus in Texas for STAAR testing. My ELA retesters had a 70% pass rate. That's way higher than the state passing rate. I wish we had bonuses for results in standardized testing.

 

Talk about losing sight of what America (imperfectly as we may be) aspires to represent. Our flag is worn as headbands & bikinis, government pays over $100mil/annum to NFL teams for marketing patriotism & one wants to talk about "honour"?

America isn't easy. America is advanced citizenship. You gotta want it bad, 'cause it's gonna put up a fight. It's gonna say "You want free speech? Let's see you acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil, who's standing center stage and advocating at the top of his lungs that which you would spend a lifetime opposing at the top of yours. You want to claim this land as the land of the free? Then the symbol of your country can't just be a flag; the symbol also has to be one of its citizens exercising his right to burn that flag in protest. Show me that, defend that, celebrate that in your classrooms. Then, you can stand up and sing about the "land of the free".

***ga please.

 

Apologies for last inappropriate words. Forgot we don't know each other & channeled my inner George Jefferson.

 

Argh!

Posted in wrong thread. Would appreciate a mod redirecting my post(s) to the Jerry Jones thread.

Thanks.