Tennessee Virtual Academy emails teachers to delete bad grades. For-profit online school.

[madfloridian]

http://www.newschannel5.com/story/21129693/email-directs-teachers-to-delete-bad-grades">Email Directs Teachers To Delete Bad Grades

There is a video at the link as well.

At the center of the controversy is the Tennessee Virtual Academy -- a for-profit, online public school that Republican lawmakers touted as a way to improve education in Tennessee. Two years ago, state lawmakers voted to let K12 Inc. open the school, using millions of taxpayer dollars.

...The email -- labeled "important -- was written in December by the Tennessee Virtual Academy's vice principal to middle school teachers.

"After ... looking at so many failing grades, we need to make some changes before the holidays," the email begins.

Among the changes: Each teacher "needs to take out the October and September progress reports; delete it so that all that is showing is November progress."

Millions of taxpayer dollars to open the school, a failed experiment.

More on the test scores. Lawmakers warned the school.

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20130129/NEWS/301290071/TN-lawmakers-blast-online-K12-school">TN lawmakers blast online K12 school

After opening in 2011 courtesy of enabling legislation approved by the Republican-dominated legislature, Tennessee Virtual Academy is under heightened scrutiny following an inaugural year of operations that produced alarmingly low test scores: Only 16.4 percent of its middle school students scored proficient or advanced test marks in math, while 39.3 percent did so in reading/language arts.

The utter irony of this next paragraph caught my eye at once. The head of the academy actually has the nerve to excuse the grades because he says the students come with a "different, unique need". Just like public school students don't?

The "reformers" seem to live in their own reality

Josh Williams, head of schools for the Tennessee Virtual Academy, pointed to the challenge of teaching all types of children when repeatedly pressed on the school’s poor math scores: “Each one of our students comes in with a different, unique need,” he said, adding that the school is seeking to “work as a team” and to make better use of data to address the needs.

His answer to the failure is to "make better use of data"?

Crossposted at DU3

[Pithlet]

1. Huge scam. Such a waste of taxpayer money.

I live in Tennessee and knew this would happen when they passed the law to allow this sham of a school to set up here. It's all part of the effort to weaken public schools further and privitize everything. It's a racket.

[Enthusiast]

2. We don't hear much about this

in the mainstream media. I guess taxpayers finding out about these abuses is not part of the plan.

[madfloridian]

3. The major media will never cover it.

That's how they get away with such fraud.

[No Elephants]

4. That is why I think you should write a book. You have so much material already.

[No Elephants]

5. An email? So you know he is (1) not too bright; and (2) too lazy to make calls.

Unreal that he would send a mass email and not expect it to hit the fan.

[Enthusiast]

6. Exactly.

The guy is too dumb for words. That's why his education scheme is soooo effective. NOT!