7 accused APS principals back at work

ATLANTA — Channel 2 Action News has learned some Atlanta school principals once accused of wrongdoing have quietly been rehired.

The state's investigation initially implicated 178 educators, including 38 principals. Many were accused of falsifying scores on standardized state tests.

Now, at least seven of the accused principals are back at work. Channel 2 investigative reporter Mark Winne surveyed their lawyers.

One attorney told Winne one of his clients, who had been an accused principal, returned to work about 10 days ago. He said some of the reinstatements have been reported, while others have quietly returned under the radar.

The news gives accused former G.A. Towns Elementary School Principal Carla Pettis hope. She faced a tribunal hearing in October.

"I would like my job back," she said. "I never did anything but be a good educator from the time I was employed with Atlanta Public Schools."

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She said while she was not accused of cheating, she still lost her job because of allegations in the CRCT cheating scandal.

Attorney Michael Kramer recently indicated six principals he's represented who were initially implicated in the CRCT cheating scandal have been cleared and returned to work.

Three of the reinstatements this year gave full back pay to non-principal administrative workers. The other three reinstated employees returned to work as principals. Attorney Warren Fortson also said a principal he represents has been put back to work by the district this year, but not as a principal.

As for Pettis, attorney George Lawson said she's brought him on to handle the appeal.

"My family, my neighbors, my co-workers, all of us, we are struggling," she said.

Pettis said the worst allegation against her was supposedly telling a paraprofessional to falsify attendance records. Pettis maintains she told her to correct erroneous records.

WSBTV