Grade-Fixing Scandal Rocks New Rochelle High School
NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- A school scandal in Westchester County could cost an assistant principal her job.
Investigators say an administrator at New Rochelle High School improperly changed more than 200 grades, for dozens of students, CBS2's Tony Aiello reported Wednesday.
According to investigators, at least two members of the class of 2018 graduated, even though they didn't have enough credits. This after Assistant Principal Shadia Alvarez changed grades to "passing" in an online instruction system for students trying to make up classes they'd failed.
"Unfortunately, people do what they think is necessary to push the children through. You're not doing the work, you're not getting the right grade,and they're just moving you forward," parent Peter Graves said.
At a school board meeting on Tuesday night, Alvarez denied any wrongdoing.
"I ask the board to look at the report. I will be looking at it, and trying to figure out how this happened," Alvarez said.
Investigators say there's clear evidence she fixed 200 grades for 32 students.
SEE THE INVESTIGATIVE REPORT HERE
"It impugns the integrity of the people that work in the district," school board president Jeffrey Hastie said. "(There are) a lot of hardworking individuals in this district and I think something like this besmirches all of them."
MORE: New Rochelle High School Has At Least 1 Student Headed To Each Ivy League College
The school district said it is also reviewing hiring practices, after damaging revelations about Alvarez's previous work as a principal in New York City. The city schools investigator recommended Alvarez be placed on a do-not-hire list after substantiating misconduct related to expenses and work hours.
A year later, she landed a job in New Rochelle making more than $150,000 a year.
Dr. Magda Parvey, New Rochelle's acting superintendent, said she knows parents are concerned.
"We will continue to work on trust, but our system is sound and we're putting practices in place to ensure that," Dr. Parvey said.
That includes having multiple administrators sign off on any attempt to change a grade.
The district is moving to fire that assistant principal, who was hired by former Principal Reginald Richardson, who left under a cloud of controversy earlier this year.
