The recent Atlanta cheating scandal, in which the Georgia Bureau of Investigation found that “178 teachers and principals in 44 schools had engaged in cheating since 2001” (Bello, Gillum & Toppo, 2011), raises tough questions about the nature of education and educational accountability. The fact that the investigation was limited to 56 schools makes the widespread nature of the cheating spectacularly disturbing.
What does this evidence say about a system of high-stakes testing that unfairly punishes schools with low income students? What does it say about a culture where principals and teachers will lie and cheat rather than promote reform? How can the public trust that the results of high-stakes testing are accurate? How can reformers develop systems to hold schools and teachers accountable, like Scott Walker has promised to do in Wisconsin, which ensure integrity?
Teachers, principals, and politicians could learn a lesson from an episode of The Brady Bunch where Jan Brady calls attention to a scoring error that would have erroneously awarded her the winner of an essay contest. In front of her peers, Jan calls attention to the error and accepts that her honesty will cost her public adulation. The perception of success is not enough; for school reform to truly be successful, it must do more than just hold teachers accountable. It must help them teach better and do it honestly.
CBS. (2011, June 15). The Brady Bunch - Honesty is the best policy [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCxSIfOYmAU
Bello, M., Gillum, J. & Toppo, G. (2011, July 8). Official: Investigation into possible test cheating expands. USAToday.com. Retrieved from http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2011-07-08-schools-DC-investigation-cheating_n.htm?csp=34news
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