Principal at center of APS cheating scandal resigns

AJC ^ | 4/25/12 | Jaime Sarrio

[Libloather]

Principal at center of APS cheating scandal resigns
By Jaime Sarrio
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
8:24 p.m. Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Christopher Waller, a middle school principal accused of coordinating mass test cheating, resigned Tuesday after Atlanta Public Schools issued plans to fire him.

Waller emerged as one of the key figures in a 400-plus page state investigative report into test cheating, an example, investigators noted, of the toxic culture they said existed in APS. Waller, according to the investigation, bullied Parks Middle School teachers into copying exams and erasing wrong answers on state achievement tests. All the while, he garnered praise from top officials and reaped financial rewards for turning around one of APS' most academically challenged schools.

Teachers complained to the district about Waller's behavior in 2005 and 2006, accusing him of academic fraud and sexual harassment. But the district did not discipline him. Instead, former superintendent Beverly Hall held him up as a model principal, an example of reform-minded leadership that got results by pushing educators to unlock the potential of underachieving poor students.

[Libloather]

Just another gubmint employee.

[Tax-chick]

One of Holder’s People. He’ll soon have another job at raise-the-taxes salary, not to worry.

[GOPJ]

Hey, he looks like he could be Obama’s son...

[citizen]

Yep, he deserves getting canned and doing time, I hope. But the big cover-up artist was Beverly Hall. She basked in the local, state and national glow of the faux improvements of the Atlanta school system for years.

[Chode]

JAF0V...

[Josa]

If obama had a son, he would look like Principal Waller.

[Ditto]

Teachers complained to the district about Waller's behavior in 2005 and 2006, accusing him of academic fraud and sexual harassment. But the district did not discipline him.

I wonder why. (Not really)

[Scoutmaster]

One of Holder’s People. He’ll soon have another job at raise-the-taxes salary, not to worry.

Thanks for the ping. Cobb, Gwinnett, or Dekalb will hire him soon.

[Scoutmaster]

All from the linked article:

[Principal Christopher Waller] denied cheating during interviews with investigators, saying he wouldn't compromise his $100,000 principal's salary and pointing out that he was a minister above such deception. Attempts Wednesday to reach Waller at his home and at Butler Street CME, where he is listed as its senior pastor, were unsuccessful.

. . .

In addition to numerous testing improprieties, district officials also accuse him of sexually harassing a female employee in late 2010 or early 2011.

According to the district, in March 2011, Waller put his hand on the woman's thigh and told her, "You are real quiet and keep to yourself ... so I know you won't say anything about this."

Waller then allegedly tried to grope the woman and pull her pants down as she tried to leave his office. He then, according to APS, followed her out of the office to her car, telling her, "You must not know who I am. I get what I want."

Yep. Expect him soon in the Cobb County Public School System. Or Gwinnett or Dekalb. Maybe Clayton, Walton, or Henry.

[TurboZamboni]

get rich or die tryin...