The story so far
Previously: The principal of Carver School of Technology was demoted for violating policy by ordering a secretary to award students grades they had not earned.
The latest: The Atlanta school board voted to make her the new strategic director for human resources for high schools.
What’s next: Her new job duties include training others in employee relations, according to a school district job description.
An Atlanta high school principal involved in a grade-changing scandal will become a director in Atlanta Public Schools' human resources office.
As principal of Carver School of Technology, Josie Love in 2015 ordered a secretary to award dozens of students grades they had not earned.
The students had been taught by substitutes and had not received grades. Love told the secretary to give them all Bs for the semester. The secretary refused, saying it would be unethical. Other staff entered the grades and Love eliminated the secretary’s position at the end of the year, when Carver School of Technology merged with another school.
The Atlanta school board voted Monday night unanimously to make Love the new strategic director for human resources for high schools.
In her new position, Love will take the lead on actions affecting high school employees, according to a district job description. Her new job duties include helping with terminating and hiring staff and assisting with hiring new principals, according to the description.
The Carver grading allegations were one of several instances of grade changing and other grading problems The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Channel 2 Action News reported on last year.
Love will make about $5,000 less in her new job than she did this year as a high school assistant principal, district spokeswoman Jill Strickland said.
Rolanda Veal, the secretary who complained about Love’s actions, is still looking for a new position within the school district. Hiring Love as a human resources director doesn’t seem fair, she said.
“I’m just disheartened,” she said. “They keep finding positions for her.”
Love was in her first year as principal during the grading incident last year, district spokeswoman Jill Strickland said.
The district disciplined Love for violating district policy and demoted her to assistant principal. However, the state agency that oversees educator licenses did not take action against her. A district investigation found that her decision to eliminate Veal’s secretary position was not retaliation.
Love went through a competitive hiring process for the director position, Strickland said.
“She’s an educator with lots of promise and the district believes she is qualified for this level of work,” she said.
“She owned up to the mistake that she made and was held accountable.”
Love did not respond to a message from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
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