what benefit there is to jailing these folks. seems like they're being made examples for others, but it won't matter if the school system and testing priorities change so that its not so incentive based.
8. "I feel Sick about this. It's Racist and Political. " In response to Reply # 0
On The Atlanta Public School Scandal
This is by far the most willful example of a miscarriage of justice in the name of seeking justice. So far teachers have been sentence from 1 yr, 2 yrs, 5 yrs (serve 1, 5 yrs probation, $1000 fine), 7 yrs and 20 yrs (serve 7). The DA is giving people 5 yrs probation and 1 year home confinement 7pm-7am (that's a trap). All of this is for teachers being involved with cheating practices on a state test that fails prove anything in the first place. This is the same testing platform that has to be revised constantly.
The D.A.'s office should be ashamed of this matter and its tactics in an effort to gain point with politicians. The DA never wanted justice, he just wanted retribution.
The Fulton County Superior Court Judge is taking this APS case personal. He's overly theatrical, disrespectful, and emotional. And I hope that he is thoroughly investigated after this is over. As I watch the live sentencing he is clearly displaying grave amount of hubris. The fact that he called the APS scandal "The sickest things that's ever happen to this town." is crazy and just plain wrong. This judge wanted people to accept a plea deal that waived their right to an appeal. WHAT! And the DA created the plea.
Yes, the teachers should be punished for their actions, but these sentences are crazy. . . . "And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful." ~ 2 Tim 2:4
10. "apparently the defendants had multiple chances, " In response to Reply # 0
after the verdict was given, to arrive at a deal. the judge signaled that anyone who didnt take a deal would get a harsh sentence. some of the defendants, against all common sense, decided to roll the dice. and they lost, big time. sometimes you just have to take the deal.
12. "Aptitude testing is evil, but I have little sympathy here" In response to Reply # 0 Tue Apr-14-15 11:51 AM by B9
There are avenues and ways to affect change in regards to standardized testing; conspiring to change scores to pass under-prepared students and inflate school achievement numbers isn't one of them. Backing what they did and on the scale they did it is as shitty and wrong as that approach to teacher/student assessment. What's worse, by dragging this along as far as this handful of pig-headed dumbasses did, they lost the chance for that dialogue. Remember, when this all started back in 2011, there were 216 (!) teachers and administrators implicated in the scandal. Most quickly admitted to what they had done and all of them faced paltry punishment in comparison to today's sentencing.
But for four years now, the remaining few were offered ranges of deals by the state that they refused to listen to, and Cotmam in particular wasted so much of the county's time and money with frivolous motions. Even after their verdicts, they refused to take the last-second deals on offer despite Baxter and the DA pleading for them to do so multiple times. Had they entered guilty please way back in 2011 or fessed up like so many of their colleagues did, this would already be past them.
So, no. I really don't give a damn other than the amount of time and money the county is going to have to waste, again, hearing the appeals.
17. "It's just silly that they fought this to this stage and are now upset " In response to Reply # 15
about sentencing. Clear as day pretty early on that they were caught, other people rolled on them and they had no chance of winning, but they kept on keeping on without taking a deal or changing their plea. So, yeah, I'm not going to waste my time getting upset at the sentencing when they knew what was headed toward them.
16. "but Lynndie England wasn't charged in Fulton County" In response to Reply # 13
i don't see how what happened in one jurisdiction has to do with the price of tea in another
------- "A man who is good enough to shed his blood for his country is good enough to be given a square deal afterwards. More than that no man is entitled, and less than that no man shall have." - TR
24. "while i do think the charges and sentence are excessive" In response to Reply # 0
there's probably thousands of kids who are ill equipped now because of them. kids who were not proficient for their grade but got a pass to slide though. maybe subsequent years of schooling got them caught up to speed but how likely is that?
idealistically, it would be great to see "justice" dealt to those who damage children but it's so arbitrary and given this is probably happening everywhere, i don't find it to be fair or really effective. especially when you think about crimes that are violent or robbed folks of their future as well yet went uncharged or were given slaps on the wrist
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