Yet Another Former Metro Nashville School Teacher Comes Forward With Allegations, Calls For Audit

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Article by Paula Gomes, Tennessee Conservative News –

Yet another former teacher who worked in the Metro Nashville Public School (MNPS) district has come forward with allegations against the school system and is calling for an audit.

Whistleblower Rene Jordan says she was unfairly terminated and is working with State Representative Scott Cepicky (R-Culleoka-District 64) on getting the district fully audited.

Several former MNPS educators have brought allegations of grade manipulation against the district which has prompted the state Department of Education’s civil rights division to launch an investigation into potential academic dishonesty at Stratford High School.

Jordan worked as a behavior special education teacher, low incidence teacher, or a co-teacher in her time with MNPS. She was terminated last year in May. District officials told News 2 that Jordan was let go for violating MNPS policy multiple times.

According to the termination letter that Jordan received, in one incident, children in her classroom assaulted a nonverbal student and she did not step in to stop the attack.

However, Jordan is far from alone in calling for the district to be investigated.

Former teachers at different schools within the MNPS system have alleged that district administration pressured them to alter failing student grades, and reprimanded them for refusing to do so. They were also discouraged from reporting student behavioral issues to bolster district statistics.

The story made national headlines when award-winning former teacher Samira Hardcastle took her complaints directly to the school board after resigning earlier this year from teaching art in Metro schools. In her address to the board, Hardcastle cited allegations concerning grading, staffing, and other workplace issues.

Previously named Teacher of the Year at John F. Kennedy Middle School in Antioch, Hardcastle submitted a three-page resignation letter in May which outlined her concerns about grade manipulation and student behavior.

In a recent op-ed, JC Bowman, executive director and CEO of Professional Educators of Tennessee, said that manipulating student grades carries serious implications and that allegations from multiple educators cannot be swept under the rug.

“The allegations surrounding grade changes and credit recovery in Metro Nashville Public Schools are serious enough that taxpayers, parents, educators, and especially students deserve answers – not talking points,” stated Bowman.

There are many reasons that a student may fail a course, and credit recovery is in itself not the problem.

The state has safeguards which require that students in credit recovery programs must have previously taken the course and have demonstrated mastery of at least half of the standards. If students are below that threshold, they are required to retake the entire course.

Bowman says the integrity of the district is on the line.

“If we manipulate the numbers instead of confronting the problem, the student will eventually discover the truth. By then, it may be too late,” said Bowman. “A diploma must mean something.”

Sources:

TennesseeConservativeNews.com.

TennesseeConservativeNews.com.

WKRN.

Tri Star Daily.

About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative. You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.