Adams 12 School District sets the example for cheaters
May 12th, 2009
Last month the results from nearly 300 CSAP tests from Silver Hills Middle School had to be thrown away because the school’s principal cheated. Tracy Webber, looked at the CSAP test and then gave her teachers a practice question to administer that was so close to the real thing, the teachers raised the red flag when they administered the test.
Adams 12 Five Star School District Superintendent Mike Paskewicz told the media last month, “She looked at the test, she shared information from it with teachers, the teachers developed a writing exercise as practice that gave kids an unfair advantage.”
Paskewicz at the time described it as a, “serious professional error in judgment.” This is of course nothing short of cheating and Ms. Webber, who in her third school as a principal, certainly knew better. As the superintendant said, “She has not stated she absolutely knew that was against protocol.”
After investigating the matter, we determined the principal made a serious professional error in judgment.
~ Adams 12 Superintendent Mike Paskewicz
Calling this an ‘error of judgment’ does not begin to describe how wrong it is, particularly since Webber fully knew it was cheating. Administrators and teachers are well aware of the rules and what types of practice and coaching can be done leading up to the test as they are given annual training on administration of the CSAP and are told exactly what is and is not permitted. It was cheating – period.
The teachers at the school are to be commended for bringing the matter to the attention of the school district. The fact that they stood up – at no doubt great risk to themselves and their careers – is an outstanding example of what is good and right about our schools. The district as well ‘self-reported’ the issue to the Colorado Department of Education so that is notable.
Cheating should not be tolerated, especially when a teacher or school administrator does it.
The district of course was forced to immediately suspend Ms. Webber – with pay – while they conducted their investigation. Superintendent Mike Paskewicz said at the time that Webber “won’t be back” at the school.
Now we know that to be the case however rather than outright firing the cheating principal she is to be reassigned as an assistant principal at another area middle school. Ms. Webber also will be allowed to reapply for a principal’s position in as little as a year from now. Whether she will continue to draw the same $101,630 salary she earned as a principal once she begins work as an assistant principal or during the time between now and then is unknown.
The district said that their decision to retain Webber was based in large part on a petition signed by 189 people wanting to see her retain her job. Of course there are over 800 students at the school and a corresponding number of parents so I don’t know that having less than one quarter of them voice support is exactly what I would consider a resounding endorsement of Webber.
We’ve talked to some folks ‘in the know’ in the district and some interesting comments about Ms. Webber have come about. We don’t believe Ms. Webber is as popular as the district seems to think.
This was a failure in leadership and a failure of morals.
The bigger question is what sort of an example this sets for children when an admitted cheater is allowed to return to a leadership position with few repercussions. This was a failure in leadership and a failure of morals on the part of Webber and how she can be allowed to remain with the district, least of all in a supervisory position is beyond me. Of course I guess she could always be moved to the administration building to further augment their already bloated staff there as an alternative.
Related stories in the news:
[...] they keep their jobs. We saw this here in Adams 12 Five Star School District last year with the case of a principal that cheated on the CSAP. While she was reassigned and demoted to assistant principal, it appears she may get her old job [...]