Superintendent testifies against accused APS teacher

ATLANTA — A tribunal panel voted Monday to fire an Atlanta Public School teacher accused in the district's cheating scandal.

Channel 2's Tom Regan went to her hearing in downtown Atlanta, where the district superintendent had some tough words.

"This district has lost complete and utter confidence in her ability to remain in the classroom," Superintendent Erroll Davis said during testimony.

Of the 178 educators accused in the scandal, 17 have been fired, 16 reinstated and 110 have either resigned or retired. Davis said the state investigation showed rampant test cheating at Dobbs Elementary School, where Shayla Smith was a teacher.

While Davis admitted he had no direct evidence that Smith changed test answers, he said there was a significant number of wrong-to-right erasures.
 
"I have absolutely no confidence that (this) teacher could in fact administer future exams with integrity," Davis said.

According to state investigators, Smith admitted to other teachers she helped students cheat, but Smith denied the allegations.

"I have never given any teacher's students answers on any CRCT," Smith said.

Although the tribunal has made its decision, the school board must vote to accept that decision before the teacher can be removed from her position.

WSBTV