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Started 3 years ago by Walker
Latest reply from pez

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New Allegations In Columbus City Schools Data Rigging
August 3, 2012
by WOSU News Staff

The Columbus Dispatch, this morning, reported Superintendent Gene Harris interfered when the district’s former auditor, Tina Abdella, wanted to investigate student-attendance records back in 2004. Abdella said it was made clear to her that she and her staff would not be conducting the probe. The article says Harris asked the Ohio Department of Education to step in and help with the audit. And the district received a flattering review from the state.

Columbus City Schools board member Mike Wiles would not say whether he thinks Harris should be placed on administrative leave or step down. Wiles said he’s waiting on the internal audit to be completed.

READ MORE: http://beta.wosu.org/news/2012/08/03/new-allegations-in-columbus-city-schools-data-rigging/

Posted 9 months ago #
howatzer

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Accusations of blocking an investigation could be tossed aside as coming from a former disgruntled employee (the former CPS auditor was fired) or partisan politics (current state auditor is GOP), but the two together makes Harris look pretty freaking guilty. She should be put on leave right now and until the investigation is over.

Posted 9 months ago #
FireEngine
Blacklick or Driving Park
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howatzer said:
Accusations of blocking an investigation could be tossed aside as coming from a former disgruntled employee (the former CPS auditor was fired) or partisan politics (current state auditor is GOP), but the two together makes Harris look pretty freaking guilty. She should be put on leave right now and until the investigation is over.

And the DoE person who did the state's investigation got a sweetheart deal to work for CPS. I hope the usually rubber stamp school board makes some big heads roll over all this.

Posted 9 months ago #
Analogue Kid
Olentangy West
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This whole mess is troubling, but I'm sure the ones who ultimately get the shaft will be the students.

Posted 9 months ago #
lizless
Columbus/Hocking Hills
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Analogue Kid said:
This whole mess is troubling, but I'm sure the ones who ultimately get the shaft will be the students.

I think if there is a big shake up of the current administration and they get some new blood in CPS, the students will ultimately benefit. The current administration have not shown much regard to the teachers or students, it would be nice to see someone in charge who would.

Posted 9 months ago #
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August 1, 2012 — 11:00 am
An Investigation of Attendance Records in Ohio’s Public Schools

Certain students are disappearing from public school district records in Ohio, and these disappearances are raising the district’s overall test score. The process is being called “scrubbing” and the Ohio State Auditor Dave Yost has announced a full investigation into public schools in Ohio.

LISTEN/WATCH HERE: http://beta.wosu.org/allsides/an-investigation-of-attendance-records-in-ohio’s-public-schools/

Posted 9 months ago #
howatzer

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This is going way beyond CPS (although the blocking by Harris may make it particularly bad here). But this was a failure on many levels:

Schools’ rigging was on the wall:
State did very little after ’08 reports found attendance-data trouble

(clear cookies or turn on private browsing mode to get there)

Posted 9 months ago #
Luce Cannon Mims
Columbus
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It would appear that the corruption is throughout Columbus City Schools. I wonder how the system will be able to replace all the employees who deliberately entered false information for attendance? Could they replace half the principals? Where do you find that many competent new hires?

Would most parents feel comfortable sending their children to schools where the leadership is so morally misguided? What happens if they say other false things about students? (I've seen that happen)

Posted 9 months ago #
howatzer

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Columbus schools barely keep C on state report card

(clear cookies or turn on private browsing mode to get there)

In an interview with The Dispatch yesterday, Superintendent Gene Harris wouldn’t say whether she thinks the decline is related to the district’s ongoing student-data scandal.....
When asked whether stopping the practice caused the district’s grade to suffer, Harris answered: “I don’t know. I don’t want to give you what my guesses are.”

For the first time since The Dispatch began reporting in June about retroactive changes in attendance figures, Columbus school Superintendent Gene Harris acknowledged that ongoing investigations will turn up wrongdoing, but she asserted that she did not know it was going on.

And that's why she tried to stymy the investigation... right.

Posted 9 months ago #
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Columbus City Schools Superintendent: Did Not Order Data Rigging
August 8, 2012
by Mandie Trimble
89.7 NPR News Reporter

The investigation continues into whether Columbus City School administrators changed attendance data. The district’s superintendent maintains she knew nothing of the alleged rigging. WOSU sat down with Harris prior to last night’s school board meeting to discuss the district’s – and the superintendent’s – future.

READ MORE: http://beta.wosu.org/news/2012/08/08/columbus-city-schools-superintendent-did-not-order-data-rigging/

Posted 9 months ago #
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Bogus data might have gotten bonuses for principals
Aug. 8, 2012
Written by Associated Press

COLUMBUS -- Some principals in one of three Ohio school districts accused of changing attendance records to boost their state report card numbers might have received financial bonuses as a result, Columbus City Schools Superintendent Gene Harris said. Harris told The Columbus Dispatch that under the district's "gainsharing" program, schools could qualify for bonuses by improving student performance.

READ MORE: http://www.coshoctontribune.com/article/20120808/NEWS01/208080308/Bogus-data-might-gotten-bonuses-principals

Posted 9 months ago #
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Get the Video Player

Posted 9 months ago #
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Auditor looking into "bonuses" for schools fudging attendence records

COLUMBUS -- When our children go to school, they're often told to "pay attention," "don't break the rules" and "don't cheat."

"We've got a system with grown-ups in it that are not telling the truth, they're cheating or not playing by the rules, or so it would seem," State Auditor Dave Yost said of Columbus City Schools.

READ MORE: http://www.abc6onyourside.com/shared/newsroom/top_stories/videos/wsyx_vid_19080.shtml

Posted 9 months ago #
howatzer

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According to Yost, There were 20+ calls to the CPS attendance cheating tip line the 1st night it was up.

Posted 9 months ago #
rus

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Get the Video Player

Posted 9 months ago #
howatzer

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District’s image worries Columbus school board

The Columbus Board of Education revamped last night its priorities for a new levy, with improving the public’s perception of the district – perhaps by hiring a marketing firm – now topping the list.

You just can't make this stuff up.

Posted 9 months ago #
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Posted 9 months ago #
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Columbus City Schools Retains Attorneys
August 22, 2012
by Mandie Trimble
89.7 NPR News Reporter

The Columbus City Schools District has retained outside legal counsel in the wake of the attendance data investigation being conducted by the state. WOSU reports school board members approved the move at last night’s board meeting.

READ MORE: http://beta.wosu.org/news/2012/08/22/columbus-city-schools-retains-attorneys/

Posted 8 months ago #
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Columbus City School Board: No Public Access To Ethics Training
August 29, 2012
by Mandie Trimble
89.7 NPR News Reporter

Members of the Columbus School Board were trained by state ethics employees Monday night. And later they met with their recently-hired attorney. But what went on during those meetings remains a mystery.

READ MORE: http://beta.wosu.org/news/2012/08/29/columbus-city-school-board-no-public-access-to-ethics-training/

Posted 8 months ago #
misskitty
Columbus
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Additionally I learned today that there bus central computer system crashed last week and they have not yet been able to recover the data lost because backing things up would make too much sense right… So what does it mean well today I learned that if it’s a newer route they won’t show up leaving a kid on his first school bus experience stranded at the stop for a hour then hang up on you when you call to ask them wtf…

In all honesty they should dissolve the current administration and start the hell over obviously this is a broken administration if it’s broke throw it away and get a new one.

Posted 8 months ago #