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By Andria [email protected]
Georgia lawmakers werelauded on some sides and lam-basted on others Wednesdayafter passing a massive trans-
portation funding bill thatwould raise close to $1 billiona year.
House Bill 170 would lift thegas tax for the average driv-er by about 6 cents a gallon. Itwould impose new fees on ho-
tel stays, electric vehicles andheavy trucks. And it wouldeliminate lucrative tax breaksfor Delta Air Lines and electricvehicle owners.
Transportation gets billion-dollar boost
RoadscontinuedonA7
AJCATTHEGOLDDOME
MOREINSIDE»Sine die:Seewhat’sat staketoday,A6-7»Kill the bill:Readoureditorialon religious freedom,A16
ShowersHigh: 72,Low:5960%chanceof rain
Friday:Partlycloudy, 79/58Saturday:Partlycloudy,64/49Sunday:Mostlysunny,67/42
Details on thebackofMetro
THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 2015
Dear Abby D3Classifieds D6Comics D8Obituaries B6
Peach Buzz D2Puzzles D3Television D2The Vent B2
©2015 AJC, VOL. 67, NO. 92PRINTED WITH SOY INK ON RECYCLED PAPER
Racketeering chargeis a powerful weaponBy Bill [email protected]
When the state brought rack-eteering charges against Atlan-ta Public Schools employees forcheating on tests and then cov-ering it up, criminal defense at-torneys said it was overkill.
Teachers, principals ... rack-eteers?
OnWednesday, however, ju-rors unanimously agreed that11 of the 12 former educators on
trial were guilty of engaging in aracketeering conspiracy.
The federal racketeering law— called RICO, for RacketeerInfluenced and CorruptOrganizations — was enactedin 1970 to fight corruption andorganized crime. But Georgia’slaw, passed in 1980, has beenused by state prosecutors as ahammer against gang leaders,public corruption, even an
RacketeeringcontinuedonA13
THE VERDICTAPS TEST-CHEATING SCANDAL
11GUILTYVERDICTS1Elementary school teacher
is the only educator clearedof all charges. 10 Convicted sent straight to
jail; pregnant defendantremains free for now. 20Years in prison faced
by each educator onracketeering charges.
Tamara Cotman is led to a holding cell after a jury convicted her of racketeering charges. Wednesday’s verdicts are a final chapter in what be-gan in 2008, when The Atlanta Journal-Constitution broke the first of several stories highlighting suspect APS test scores. KENT D. JOHNSON / AJC
By Rhonda [email protected] [email protected] Mark [email protected]
After considering nearly fivemonths of testimony, a FultonCounty jury convicted all butone of the dozen former At-lanta teachers and administra-tors on trial in the largest test-cheating scandal in the nation.
On Wednesday afternoon,10 former teachers and schooladministrators were hand-cuffed and taken to jail, wherethey will await sentencing,perhaps to decades in prison.The 11th was at home, waitingto give birth.
Only Dessa Curb, a formerteacher, walked out of thecourthouse a free woman.
“I knew God had my back,”she said.
In total, 32 former educa-tors were convicted, countingthe 21 who pleaded guilty tolesser charges before the tri-al’s start last year. Two others,including former Superinten-dent Beverly Hall, died of can-cer before they could be tried.
The case capped whatbegan in 2008 when TheAtlanta Journal-Constitutionbroke the first of severalstories highlighting suspect
Educatorsto learnsentencesnext week
VerdictscontinuedonA9
WatchasAJCeditorKevinRileyexplains theverdictsandwhattheysayaboutourcity–andourschool system.
Seeourphotos fromthecourthouseandviewthemugshotsofthosewhowerebooked into jailWednesday.
5pages inside today:A8,A9,A10,A12,A13TURNINSIDE■Learnmoreabout theonlydefendant tobecleared,A12
READSUNDAY’SPAPER■Werevisit howwegothere,fromthefirsthintofscandal totheverdict.
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THE ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 2015
3APSCHEATINGSCANDALThe story so far Suspicious scoresTheAtlantaJournal-Constitution’s investigative reportersbroke thestoryaboutwidespreadcheatingon tests inAtlantaPublicSchools in2008,andwe’vecontinueddiggingeversince.
2008TheAtlantaJournal-Constitutionanalyzesscoreson theCriterion-ReferencedCompetency
Testandfindswhatappeartobeunusual scorechangesat several areaschools.APS
teachersandothersbeginallegingextensivecheating.SuperintendentBeverlyHall, a
nationally known innovatorwhobuilt her reputationon improvedAPSscores,dismisses the
possibilityofcheating.APSresponds that it hadnoplans to investigate.
2009AcomputeranalysisdevelopedbyTheAtlantaJournal-Constitutionflagsschoolswith
unusual changes in test scores. In thecaseofsomeschools, theoddsof improvement
bychanceweregreaterthanabillion tooneagainst.TheGovernor’sOfficeofStudent
Achievementcalls foranerasureanalysisonallCRCTanswersheets.Hall announcesthat
national expertswill reviewscoresat schools that recordedextraordinary improvements.
By Mark [email protected] Ernie Suggsesuggs@ajc.
Parents: Guilty verdicts sendmessageSome decry harshcharges; others sayjustice was served.
The 12 defendants, other figures in APS cheating caseTAMARACOTMANFormerSchoolReformTeamexecutivedirectorFound guilty of:RacketeeringFound not guilty of: Inanearlier trial, foundnotguiltyof trying to influenceawitness
SHARONDAVIS-WILLIAMSFormerSchoolReformTeamexecutivedirectorFound guilty of:RacketeeringFound not guilty of:Twocounts false statementsandwritingDismissed:Falseswearing
MICHAELPITTSFormerSchoolReformTeamexecutivedirectorFound guilty of:Racketeering;onecountinfluencingwitnesses
DANAEVANSFormerprincipalofDobbsElementaryFound guilty of:Racketeering;onecountfalse statementsandwritingsFound not guilty of:Threecounts false statementsandwritings
TABEEKAJORDANFormerassistantprincipal ofDeerwoodAcademyFound guilty of:RacketeeringFound not guilty of:Onecount false statementsandwritings;onecount theftbytaking
DONALDBULLOCKFormertestcoordinator,B.E.Usher/CollierHeightsElementaryFound guilty of:Racketeering; twocountsfalsestatementsandwritings; falseswearingFound not guilty of:Onecountfalsestatementsandwritings
THERESIACOPELANDFormertestcoordinator,BenteenElementaryFound guilty of:Racketeering;onecountfalsestatementsandwritingsFound not guilty of:Theftbytaking
DIANEBUCKNER-WEBBFormerteacheratDunbarElementaryFound guilty of:Racketeering; twocountsfalse statementsandwritings
PAMELACLEVELANDFormerteacheratDunbarElementaryFound guilty of:Racketeering; twocountsfalse statementsandwritings
DESSACURBFormerteacheratDobbsElementaryFound not guilty of:Racketeering; twocountfalse stat
SHANIROBINSONFormerteacheratDunbarElementaryFound guilt of
ANGELAWILLIAMSONFo
administratorsases the results—an800-page
orscheatedontheCRCTat44schools.Erroll Davis
superintendentwithavowthatnoonewhocheatedontestswill beallowed in
ontofAtlantaschoolchildrenagain.APSpursues thefiringprocessofsuspectedcheaters.
