The principal of an Atlanta high school changed more than 100 student grades, but remained at her job for nearly an entire year after Atlanta Public Schools first learned of allegations against her.
Former South Atlanta School of Law and Social Justice principal Charlotte Davis changed 144 grades at her APS high school from failing to passing in the 2013-14 school year with scant justification, according to an internal district report The Atlanta Journal-Constitution obtained under state public records laws.
The changes meant students who had failed courses were not required to repeat them.
The grade changes came amid a districtwide focus on increasing high school graduation rates — and as prosecutors prepared to take the criminal case in the APS cheating scandal to trial.
During the following year, Davis retaliated against at least one of the teachers who complained about the grade changes by laying the teacher off, according to a district report.
Davis has not responded to messages from the AJC. But she told district investigators she wanted students to have more time to master course material.
“Once we discovered this incident, we acted swiftly to do a thorough investigation,” APS spokeswoman Jill Strickland said. “We didn’t want to take this lightly."
Students, teachers: If you've been affected by grade changes at APS, contact molly.bloom@ajc.com or (770) 263-3866.
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