Ex-Atlanta superintendent denies knowledge of cheating

ATLANTA - Beverly Hall, former Atlanta superintendent of public schools, denies she knew about any cheating problems in her schools...

TheGrio Staff

Jul 14, 2011

Beverly Hall, former Atlanta superintendent of public schools, denies she knew about any cheating problems in her schools. Hall was at a posh Maui resort where she and her husband have been on vacation for two weeks, 4,000 miles away, but still within earshot of the national scandal that has dominated headlines back home.

Hall did not answer most questions under the advice of her attorney, but the meeting constitutes the first time hall answered any questions about the scandal that has embroiled her former school system. Atlanta educators removed amid cheating scandal.

A July 5 report released by Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal showed officials at nearly 80 percent of 56 Atlanta elementary and middle schools examined cheated on annual student-performance tests, called Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests.

Hall, who retired last month as head of the 48,000-student district, is accused of creating a culture of fear, pressuring faculty and administrators into accepting ever-increasing targets of achievement and turning a blind eye to the way those goals were achieved.

“Well as you know I’m on a planned trip and at this time I
have no further comment, Hall said. “I issued a statement that was printed in the (Atlanta
Journal-Constitution), and at this time have absolutely no further comment… I absolutely knew nothing about cheating.”