Teachers, parents and community leaders in the Strasburg-Franklin Local School District will ask for Superintendent Cindy Brown to be placed on administrative leave after she was accused of data rigging, according to the Strasburg Education Association.
SEA said placing Brown on leave is pending upon the outcome of an independent investigation for leading a scheme to change student grades that would show inflated student performance. SEA said a data-rigging scheme to change student grades in Columbus City Schools resulted in several administrators being criminally charged, at least one jailed and its then-superintendent found guilty of dereliction of duty.
According to SEA, Brown announced a mid-year change to the district's grading system in December and ordered teachers to alter grades that had already been issued to students for the first and second quarters of the school year from August to December. SEA said the order was to change grades to make them look better. No grades were changed to lower performance.
To comply with her request, SEA said, Principal Brian Garrett and Director of Curriculum Deb Haglock told teachers to change 392 of the 1,000 grades already issued to 288 students in grades 7-12. A written notice was distributed to teachers on Jan. 5 and an in-person meeting was held on Jan. 8.
SEA said most teachers changed the grades out of fear. One teacher who refused to participate was disciplined with a letter of reprimand for insubordination. SEA claimed Brown changed the grades in the one teacher's grade book.
A resolution of action, signed by teachers asking for Brown to be placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation, is expected to be presented at the Wednesday Board of Education meeting, SEA said.
