PSC Suspends Monroe Principal Valerie Thomas for 90 Days in CRCT fallout

By Terry Lewis (1157)
terry.lewis@albanyherald.com

As of Tuesday, March 12, 2013
© Copyright 2013 Albany Herald

ALBANY, Ga. — The Georgia Professional Standards Commission has suspended Monroe High School Principal Valerie Thomas for 90 days without pay in the wake of the Dougherty County School System's 2009 Criterion Referenced Competency Test (CRCT) cheating scandal.

The PSC ruling, issued Feb. 22, determined Thomas, who was principal at Lamar Reese Magnet School at the time of the cheating, had failed to adequately supervise testing activity.

The PSC also revoked the certification for two years of former Jackson Heights Elementary teacher Rita Akiyode and issued a reprimand to former Sherwood Acres Elementary teacher Marguerite Williams. Neither teacher is currently employed by the DCSS.

The PSC Orders were received late Monday by Dougherty County Interim School Superintendent Butch Mosely.

According to the PSC's finding of fact, as principal at Lamar Reese during the 2009 CRCTs, Thomas "had ultimate responsibility for testing activities within the elementary school in question including supervising all testing activities to ensure strict test security. Statistical analysis confirmed that cheating took place at the school in question. (Thomas) failed to supervise testing activities."

The PSC order pointed out that according to Georgia Department of Education testing regulations, testing materials must be stored in a secure place accessible only to the principal and testing coordinator. The PSC said there were five keys to the reading nook where the 2009 CRCT materials were stored.

The PSC ordered that Thomas be suspended for 90 consecutive contract days. The period of suspension begins on March 22 and continues through Oct. 10.

Mosely said he has yet to make a decision on who will serve as interim principal at Monroe during Thomas' suspension.

In August 2011, the state launched a massive probe into CRCT cheating allegations throughout the DCSS's 16 elementary schools.

The probe lasted four months and resulted in a two-volume, 294-page report which accused 49 teachers and administrators of either outright cheating or failure to supervise.

After the state's report was released, 17 teachers or administrators resigned, retired or left the system. The remaining 32 were suspended until administrative tribunals could be conducted. Eight people were later cleared, and 24 tribunals were held. Some of the teachers accepted suspensions, two were fired and others were recommended to return to work by the three-member panels.

After the tribunal phase, DCSS attorney Tommy Coleman was required by law to turn over all 49 case files to the PSC for final disposition.

More like this story

PSC withdraws prinicipal's suspension pending hearing ( March 15, 2013 )
PSC investigator following up with those in CRCT report ( November 17, 2012 )
First teachers to face tribunal agree to 60-day suspensions ( July 31, 2012 )
Tribunal suggests renewal ( August 28, 2012 )
Tribunals set for two more teachers accused of cheating ( August 9, 2012 )

straightface 3 months, 1 week ago

Here we go again!

PatrickY2K 3 months, 1 week ago

Dr. Shumate! You're next!

straightface 3 months, 1 week ago

New Year, New Staff.. Same ole..same ole

Amazed2 3 months, 1 week ago

Oh well at least somebody cares

jglass 3 months, 1 week ago

With or without pay?

J.D._Sumner 3 months, 1 week ago

Paperwork from PSC suggests "without."

sowegap 3 months, 1 week ago

See paragraph one, which states "without pay" and that is gonna hurt a lot. Wonder will she get her old job back when she returns?

truthsayer 3 months, 1 week ago

Here comes the lawsuit!

jglass 3 months, 1 week ago

It should be without pay. Why give her a 3 month vacation?

Sister_Ruby 3 months, 1 week ago

First paragraph say "without pay". But that's before the lawsuit kicks in. Somebody got away with bloody murder up in here but ....... well you know what happened.

"Statistical analysis confirmed that cheating took place at the school in question." YATHINK?????

VSU 3 months, 1 week ago

If you are to suspend someone with pay, might as well let them stay and work. At least earn the pay.

FryarTuk 3 months, 1 week ago

Excellent! Now DCSS, here is your cue. Contract expirations are coming up. CUT HER LOOSE.

Bubbavet_rureel 3 months, 1 week ago

Enjoy the honeymoon! we'll be back.

MRKIA 3 months, 1 week ago

SO STUPID AND MORONIC. THEY'LL BE GONE SOON.

Sister_Ruby 3 months, 1 week ago

Thomas was either a hands-on party to the cheating or enabled those who did it. There was no such thing as "failure to supervise testing activities". What it really means is that she actually "supervised the cheating activities". That's what really happened and there's a lot of church-going colleagues who know it's true but are lying by their silence and complicity.

TRUTH101 3 months, 1 week ago

Sooooo Monroe is without a principal or assistant principal........YIKES

chinaberry25 3 months, 1 week ago

No loss on either. The kids are running rampant anyway over there.

Support 3 months, 1 week ago

After the state's report was released, 17 teachers or administrators resigned, retired or left the system.

Not true. Check your fact.

Terry.Lewis 3 months, 1 week ago

According to the data I have, this is correct. If you have different documentation, I would like to see it. Call me at 434-8795, please.
And bring your files. Let's see if our numbers match up.

FryarTuk 3 months, 1 week ago

Inquiring minds want to know.

waltspecht 3 months, 1 week ago

Funny, the high paid tribunal members found insufficient evidance, yet the PSC apparently has found more than probable cause. Shows who is covering whose tail doesn't it?

bigbob 3 months, 1 week ago

It just shows how corrupt these people are that run this county & school system. And these fools really thing they can get big bussiness with all this corruption, sad thing is people keep voting for these same people.

RedEric 3 months, 1 week ago

I do not understand the purpose of tribunals. If you have facts that prove the guilt of an individual beyond the shadow of doubt then what do tribunals do? It does not speak well for a system to allow "feelings" to supplant facts. If a person is guilty of a crime and is allowed to escape punishment then a criminal society slowly develops. People see others "getting away" with a crime then they see a lower risk to crime. Oh, wait a minute we already have that, what the heck was I thinking!

AuntieDee 3 months, 1 week ago

"Statistical analysis "....what a joke!

Let see now, there were no teachers from her school who were reprimanded or found guilty of cheating. During the PSC's investigation they only found that testing materials were not stored in a secure place accessible only to the principal and testing coordinator. So the reason she has been suspended is because there were five keys to the reading nook where the 2009 CRCT materials were stored instead of two keys.

In the DCSS, Every custodian, secretary, and administrator have master keys to every door in the building. Not only that, almost all plant operations persons in DCSS have a master key to enter almost every door in the DCSS. It is highly improbable that there is one secure place in a school where only 2 people have keys. They should check all the schools; secured test storage rooms. You will find that more than 2 keys have been issued for those locks..

As far as the failure to supervise test... even if this was the case, how can one person supervise testing in 12-15 classrooms at one time? Unrealistic! Thomas did not enable cheaters. There were none at her school.

The issue here was that 5 people had access to the place where the test were stored, which in this case (according to PSC) was a breech of security. .

Sister_Ruby 3 months, 1 week ago

Thirty billion to one odds that cheating did not occur. Yes that's really funny, AuntieDee! The kids will laugh the rest of their natural lives!

AuntieDee 3 months, 1 week ago

I'm not saying that it didnot. I'm just saying this was not the reason for her suspension. This was a security issue as it is in most schools.

Terry.Lewis 3 months, 1 week ago

I did find it interesting that no teachers at Lamar Reese were accused of cheating in the report. Thomas' sole violation was lack of security for testing materials.

sm1716 3 months, 1 week ago

The reason none was found cheating is because the teachers at Lamar Reese didn't erase students answers. They simply filled in the test ahead of time for the students that they considered would not pass the CRCT. Try asking some of the teachers and students what happened.

Terry.Lewis 3 months, 1 week ago

I have heard that. But the teachers aren't talking about it with the media.

AuntieDee 3 months, 1 week ago

And just how would you know that?

How could they when they do not have access to the test book?. They only have access to the bubble sheet.

Sister_Ruby 3 months, 1 week ago

Unless the teachers erased and then corrected those erasures with wrong to right answers, there would have been NO WAY the testing analysis could have revealed statistical evidence of cheating.

AuntieDee 3 months, 1 week ago

Children erase wrong to right answers all the time. Who has proof that teachers erased? You can't tell one erasure from another.

Teachers have a certain amount of time to administer the test and then you are timed getting the test to the office. Teachers do not have time to go back over tests to find wrong anwers and correct them. It would take entirely too much time to even do that for one student.

Sister_Ruby 3 months, 1 week ago

I was commenting on the stupid idea that teachers filled out the tests for certain kids before they handed out the test and then those tests got flagged as statistically indicative of cheating (erasing wrong answers changing to right answers).

And kids erase answers all the time......but not at 30 Billion to ! odds....EVER! It would be like if you bought a lottery ticket every week and won the top jackpot every week for the rest of your life.....even that would not be as good a probability as that there was cheating in the tests in dozens of DoCo classrooms.

chinaberry25 3 months, 1 week ago

Maybe the security issue was the only one they could get her on without a shadow of a doubt. Better that than nothing at all. It will go on her permanent record. Does not bode will. The other is much harder to prove.

AuntieDee 3 months, 1 week ago

Read the report. A shadow of a doubt doesn't stand up in a court of law. I believe she will win her case and keep her job.

Terry.Lewis 3 months, 1 week ago

But she'll have to sue the state and not the DCSS.

AuntieDee 3 months, 1 week ago

Yes, the state department of education (PSC) will be the target for her suit. That is who I woukd target.

Sister_Ruby 3 months, 1 week ago

Somewhere down the line a judge or lawyer will call in a math expert who can make the issue understandable and the case will be closed.

chinaberry25 3 months, 1 week ago

If there is going to be a lawsuit, you may as well go ahead and fire her. That way you will be rid of her for good. She may lose both, the suit and her job too. I would be too scared to sue. She would then be damaged goods and next to impossible to get another teaching job anywhere.

erock 3 months, 1 week ago

This woman is not trustworthy. With this kind of leadership in the DCSS, getting an education outside of magnet schools or private schools is nearly impossible in Dougherty county

chinaberry25 3 months, 1 week ago

I disagree, there are many great A/P classes as well as teachers who teach them. WHS has great students as well as most other schools. DHS graduated a student several years ago who made almost perfect on SAT test. The education is there if you want it. The principal sets the tone of the school. They have last say on what teachers they hire too.

AuntieDee 3 months, 1 week ago

This is an excerpt from Governor Deal’s Report which I have a copy of…

We conclude that there is no evidence that Principal Valerie Thomas knew of the cheating. However, as set forth in the Georgia Department of Education Student Assessment Handbook for 2008-2009, which governs all standardized tests administered in the State of Georgia, the principal Has ultimate responsibility for testing activities in the local school.”*

Therefore, we conclude that Valerie Thomas failed in her ultimate responsibility for supervising testing activities and for ensuring the ethical administration of, and proper security for, the 2009 CRCT.

She was ultimately responsible because she was the principal. Not because she did anything wrong. Get the facts before you start blogging and babbling about issues you know nothing about!

Now I wonder how you guys know more about what happened than what the Governor's investigators.reported.

Sister_Ruby 3 months, 1 week ago

Did Thomas testify? How is it you have your own personal copy of the report? No evidence that she knew is not the same thing as saying "she did not know" or "she could not have known". Here's one thing for sure: plenty of folks at the school knew and still know but nobody is honest enough to tell what happened. They ought to stand up in church this Sunday and tell their congregations "Hi my name is so-and-so and I'm a LIAR!"

AuntieDee 3 months, 1 week ago

I downloaded my copy straight from the Georgia Department of Education. It's public information.

How could you be so sure she knew and that others knew she knew? Be careful how you speak on things. She could sue you for slander. Your nickname is not safe on here and you ip dress can easily be obtained. lol

NUMBER1FAN 3 months ago

Just so you know she took a lie detector test and PASSED! But the news is not reporting that......FACT! because they know feeble minded people only want to hear bad things so that they can convict people in the BLOGS.

waltspecht 3 months, 1 week ago

Funny, if I fail to secure trade secrets I get fired. In the service if I even spoke of our operations I was looking at Levenworth on one hand or the Death Penalty on the other. If I disclose pricing or bid information to a competitor I am terminated and looking at fines and possible jail time. So why shouldn't this individual be terminated for failure to maintain chain of custody? There are safes you know

AuntieDee 3 months, 1 week ago

Well Walt...like I said before. They would have to suspend every principal in DCSS. There is no secure place in these schools when everyone has keys that have been distributed by plant operations. Safe, are you kidding? Is Dr. Thomas suppose to provide a safe for tests? I don't think so. Checks and balances for testing should be put in place by the State Board of Education. Dr. Thomas and other principals are the "Fall Guys" in this situation. I would love to see the rules and regulations book for testing. I bet it doesn't say that only two people should have keys to this secure room.

Sister_Ruby 3 months, 1 week ago

Yes that's what everybody says when they are cornered "Nobody wrote down everything I was supposed to do in my $125,000 job on 3 x 5 cards so I would know how to do my job (even though I had a PhD!) so I'm not responsible."

It's a pretty weak argument but lots of stupid people buy it.

AuntieDee 3 months, 1 week ago

If you have never been in the testing process in public schools then you have NO Idea what is involved. First of all, No principal touches, counts or even sees the test. Every school has a testing coordinator which in DCSS case is an assistant principal. They are the ones who should ultimately be held accountable. The principals only monior hallways during testing. They aren't even allowed to enter the room where test are beig coded, only the test coordinator who signs off on being accountable for te administration of the test.

Check any school in DCSS and see who is the test coordinator. Ask if at any time is the principal is in direct contact with the test.

Sister_Ruby 3 months, 1 week ago

So you tell us.........how did the cheating occur? You know everything that did not or could not happen......so enlighten us on how the cheating DID happen? Because IT DID HAPPEN!!!

You do realize that several teachers and administrators in Fulton County confessed to having grade changing parties, complete with wine and cheese and crackers, right? At least some of them were honest.

I'm glad she got suspended. She is a terrible principal anyway. She does not know what she is doing. Monroe was better off with the administrators they had. She is never at school anyway and does not even know whats going on here. If you are not in her clique, you will be talked about and mis-treated. Good riddance!!

AuntieDee 3 months ago

Sounds like one of those disgruntled Monroe teachers that she had to reprimand. One thing for sure, teachers who were used to having their way and doing what they want under those other administrators will not like Dr. Thomas. She is firm but fair. I know people with children in both Lamar Reese and Monroe. Lamar Reese has gone downhill since she left. Monroe has improved. Those who are not on board with the administration will always balk.

Be careful how you dig ditches. You just may be the one to fall in it.

tknotty 3 months ago

Being off without pay is nothing ( she is a BOONE)

Ihope4albany 3 months ago

I hope that everyone of us in this blog is a volunteer at one or more of the DCSS schools.

If you are not involved, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE for the sake of our children-----GET INVOLVED. The knowledge that goes forth in these postings is amazing. RUN, RUN, RUN for DCSS SCHOOL BOARD because you have all the answers. It would be a piece of cake. With this group of posters, you can run the Georgia State Department of Education, U.S. Department of Education, the World Federation of Education, and the Galaxy of Education with blindfolds, hands tied behind your backs, and shoe strings untied.

AuntieDee 3 months ago

I may not know ALL but I know quite a bit about the DCSS. I don't need to volunteer or run for school board. When I speak its all about the facts which can be proven.

WTFwtf 3 months ago

Sweep, sweep, sweep that ish off tha flo

Ihope4albany 3 months ago

EXACTLY my point inDEEd!

If the spirit of volunteerism was as strong as the spirit of these 64 comments, just look at how much energy would have been positively spent.

Oh, I forgot, that is just for the Bright comment posting opportunity.

Truly, I hope that God never gives up hope on Albany because if we think the poor and disfranchised are the issue, we are mistaken.

As for now, I shall take my know-it-all ball and bat and go home to devise a volunteer program for the DCSS school children called - Oh yeah, we can't volunteer for you because we have all the facts.

PSC Suspends Monroe Principal Valerie Thomas for 90 Days in CRCT fallout

More like this story

Comments

Sign in to comment