Image Credit: Howard Jones / Facebook; Stratford STEM Lower Campus / Facebook.
Article by the Tennessee Conservative News Staff –
A former Metro Nashville Public Schools assistant principal is alleging that one high school created fake classes to help students graduate.
Howard Jones, former assistant principal at Stratford High School, says both of his former principals at the school were complicit in grade manipulation in various forms.
Jones, who was in charge of auditing grades at the school, told WSMV that a counselor, Constance Wade, presented him with documentation showing evidence of grade manipulation, allowed by Principal Dr. Michael Pratt. After his own investigation, he found proof as well.
According to his findings, students were being placed in fake courses that were not being offered during a particular semester.
Failing grades were then assigned for those courses, allowing the students to then “retake” the course through the online Edgenuity program for credit recovery. Current state law only allows Edgenuity to be used if a student fails a class; it cannot be used if a student has never attempted the course.
Students also had the opportunity to take a “test for credit” before doing the online course; if they were able to pass it, they could test out of the class and receive credit.
Jones told WSMV that students were able to pass those tests “with teacher assistance,” allowing them to earn credit for a fake course that they had never actually taken.
Jones also said that his previous principal, Michael Steele, also created a contract that allowed students to receive credit for courses based on grades for effort, rather than actual mastery of the content. He says he refused to honor those grades. Steele was later suspended for three days as a result of an investigation into the grade manipulation.
When he voiced complaints about the issues, Jones was told to “just let it go” and “leave it alone.” He opted to retire because he became frustrated with what he said was a lack of integrity in the system.
When asked if he believed that grade manipulation was occurring to help increase the graduation rate across the system, Jones answered, “Yes.”
Jones is currently involved in a lawsuit with Metro Nashville Public Schools related to a separate issue in which he alleges retaliation from Superintendent Dr. Adrienne Battle.
Sources:
TennesseeConservativeNews.com.
WSMV.
