Editorial: "Black Eye" - WSFA.com: News Weather and Sports for Montgomery, AL.

Editorial: "Black Eye"

Posted: Updated:
By Collin R. Gaston - bio | email

  • Editorials

  • Thursday, May 23 2013 7:20 PM EDT2013-05-23 23:20:04 GMT
    Anyone who takes advantage of one of Alabama's most treasured assets – the elderly – should face swift and steep consequences.  Thanks to a bill passed in the final hours of most recent legislative session that
    Anyone who takes advantage of one of Alabama's most treasured assets – the elderly – should face swift and steep consequences.  Thanks to a bill passed in the final hours of most recent legislative session that

  • Tuesday, May 21 2013 7:20 PM EDT2013-05-21 23:20:08 GMT
    The horrific tornadoes that ripped through Oklahoma this week bring back all too familiar memories for Alabamians as memories of April 27, 2011 are still fresh in many minds. When Alabamians were in need
    The horrific tornadoes that ripped through Oklahoma this week bring back all too familiar memories for Alabamians as memories of April 27, 2011 are still fresh in many minds. When Alabamians were in need

  • Thursday, May 16 2013 7:20 PM EDT2013-05-16 23:20:04 GMT
    In my editorial on Tuesday I chided our legislators for being the last state to pass a no-brainer  bill legalizing home brewing.  Today I want to challenge them to be one of the first states to pass another no-brainer;
    In my editorial on Tuesday I chided our legislators for being the last state to pass a no-brainer  bill legalizing home brewing.  Today I want to challenge them to be one of the first states to pass another no-brainer;
    •   

"The investigations have now been completed and have revealed that a small group of employees did in fact violate Montgomery Public School policies and procedures by unsuccessfully attempting to pressure teachers to make grade changes and ultimately made or directed changes themselves," this according to the press release provided by MPS following their press conference.

Numbers certainly played a part in Tuesday's press conference and news release – 32,000 total students in MPS system, grade changes in 2 or 3 schools, 200 grades affected, 40 current and former employee interviewed and 7 employees placed on administrative leave.

There will be some who will think, and some may verbalize, that it took complaints against the School System to initiate an investigation, instead of real pro-active leadership from System leaders who should be aware of what's going on in the schools.  These people will also wonder, and possibly express the question:  "what else is swept under the carpet" that the leaders don't know about in the schools?  

Whatever the case and whatever your stance, this is a black eye on our public school system that in time will heal as long as there are no more hidden time bombs.  As the saying goes "A few bad apples spoil the bunch" – in this case we hope that ridding the system of these alleged "bad apples" will allow the MPS to move towards brighter days.

Copyright 2012  WSFA 12 News.  All rights reserved.