Long Road Ahead In Firing Atlanta Teachers Targeted In Cheating Report

Atlanta educators charged with cheating on students' standardized tests received a letter from Erroll Davis, Atlanta's interim superintendent last week.

He told the 178 educators they had until Wednesday, July 20, to either resign or get fired.

"You either confessed to cheating or were otherwise implicated in wrongdoing," Davis wrote. "We give you the opportunity to resign your employment with APS prior to official notice of my intent to recommend your termination."

What the letter didn't note is that what could be Atlanta's largest-ever mass teacher termination is not as simple as Davis would make it seem -- even in a right-to-work state like Georgia, which can circumvent some of the labyrinthine policies implemented in states with compulsory teachers union membership.

Depending on the specifics of a case, the teacher firing process in Georgia can range from days to weeks to years. Costs mount as legal fees accrue. Atlanta has put the accused teachers on administrative leave, meaning the district will continue to pay their salaries as the termination processes unfold.

"Since Georgia is a right-to-work state, [the termination process is] probably about as streamlined as any in the nation," said Hayward Richardson, a professor of education at Georgia State University. But even so, the process can wear on, running officials thousands of dollars in legal fees and salaries paid to the teachers who face dismissal.

"This high volume is a rare instance for not only Atlanta but also school systems around the country," Richardson added.

Completing the Atlanta terminations could take a number of years, says Michael McGonigle, counsel for the Georgia Association of Educators.

"There's an unprecedented number of these cases coming out of the gate," McGonigle noted. "I'm not sure how they'll process them at this point. ... If they mess up [on legal grounds], and we can argue on appeal for reversal, we will do that. Or if the evidence isn't strong enough ... we would appeal that."

Full Article
Source: Huffington