I’ve been asked more than a couple of times when the Atlanta Public Schools cheating scandal will no longer be news.
It’s a reasonable question. Most of us who care about this region and its reputation are pained with each troubling development.
But as much as some people would like it to go away, this thing must run its course. And we’ve a long way to go before it does.
Among those who apparently have wished the story would go away: the Metro Atlanta Chamber, Atlanta’s highest-profile business organization.
In a front-page story today, staff writer Bill Torpy examines MAC's role in the APS scandal, by digging into the record, including statements to investigators by key business leaders.
You might recall that chamber officials were harshly critical of the initial reporting by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that highlighted suspicious test scores.
And you might recall the chamber emerged as a leading defender of then-Superintendent Beverly Hall. Chamber officials repeatedly asked top editors at the newspaper to call off the reporting.
You might also recall that MAC supported and was deeply connected to a group that took over the school district’s initial investigation into the tests.
That investigation by the chamber-backed “Blue Ribbon Commission” was, in retrospect, appallingly misrepresentative of the situation. It was seen by some as an attempt to whitewash the scandal.
Our story today indicates important players — including the commission’s leader — knew all along that its work was lacking, but still tried to sell it to the public and the governor.
Torpy’s story reveals some troubling new details about what went on behind the scenes as the scandal grew and some sought to contain it.
As evidence of cheating multiplied, the chamber seemed more focused on Atlanta’s image than on the education of its children.
One response was to attack the messenger.
The inability of some business leaders to acknowledge the accuracy of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s work isn’t the important thing. But their unstinting support of Beverly Hall in the face of such strong evidence of cheating indicates a lack of the moral fortitude required to take on difficult problems and seek the truth — even when pressured or embarrassed.
Some of Atlanta’s business leaders have run from their role in the cheating scandal; they are running still.
They should recognize how important it is for this story to be recounted and understood — no matter how badly they want it to go away.
As the accused teachers and principals come to trial, the process will compel these Atlanta business leaders to come to terms with the reality in the schools, and with their own culpability in this mess.
The testimony will be important for the community to hear. It’s likely to provide insight into the enormous pressure that Hall — and by extension, some in the business community — put on front-line educators.
It appears that there was no appreciation for the difficulty of educating children or the unlikelihood of quickly turning around test scores and keeping them on a constant line of improvement.
These business leaders embraced a tone and message that was all about getting results, and it was set by APS leaders who were out of touch and apparently uncaring about what they were asking the front-line employees to accomplish. They wanted results with no serious investment or accountability of their own, it seems.
Some of the people under indictment were career educators and pillars in their community, and, if guilty, they bear responsibility for any wrongdoing. But taxpayers and the public deserve to hear about pressures on respected teachers and principals who are now accused.
Education is the most challenging issue we face in Georgia, and the chamber knows it is important to business and community development. On its web site, the Chamber says: “It is our duty to roll up our sleeves and solve challenges our community faces, so we often tackle critical issues such as … education.”
We’ve offered the chamber every opportunity to explain itself and to let the public know exactly what its role was. Sam Williams, an influential figure who’s been the chamber president since 1997 and was the key force behind its decisions involving APS, cancelled an interview with our reporter and only replied to questions by email.
Here’s one response:
Do you accept any responsibility for leading Atlanta business leaders to a position about cheating at APS that has now been discredited?
“Prior to the investigation, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan visited Atlanta and praised APS, Dr. Hall had been named National Superintendent of the Year, and many APS graduates were achieving tremendous success. Ultimately, the business community was shocked to learn of the depth of the crisis within APS.”
Does that sound like a willingness to deal openly and honestly with what happened?
