Happy Wednesday, Board Watchers! I was working on Monday night’s recap when one line in particular stopped me in my tracks. I dropped everything to tweet about it - but, only twitter account holders can view tweets now. So I’ve adapted and expanded upon that thread here to make the information available to as many people as possible. I unfortunately do not have a backup method of sharing my meeting video clips just yet - sorry! I’ve linked the original youtube videos and provided time stamps for those who are interested.

We got an academic update this week. Some of it was great: we have 3 newly accredited schools! Some of it was not-so-great. Specifically: the SOL scores at Carver Elementary School.

4% of students passed the History SOL
8% passed the Math SOL
10% passed the Science SOL
20% passed the Reading SOL

This is devastating, of course, for a school that has taken repeated blows over the last decade.

2nd District Rep, Mariah White, was optimistic, though. Carver has new teachers and a new reading coach.

“We are very well equipped in resources this year… I think that this year we’ll have a turnaround in literacy and reading. We did not have those resources last year - at all. But we do have something in plan, and I believe that under my leadership at Carver will ensure that that [turnaround] happens.”

That last bit - “under my leadership” - left me gobsmacked.

You see, Ms. White has a history with Carver of actively working against efforts to improve transparency and student literacy. Allow me to explain.

Back in 2018, an anonymous source approached the VDOE with some concerns. Carver Elementary, a Blue Ribbon school, had recently reported that 100% of their 5th students passed the English SOLs. When those same students went on to middle school, though, those literacy rates crashed to only 36.8%.

This compelled the VDOE to conduct an investigation. They came to the school without warning, and interviewed students and staff.

These interviews instantly revealed a pattern of principal-appointed SOL test monitors who would review student’s answers and send them back to correct any that were wrong.

“When I raised my hand, Ms. Lacy would tell me to keep going if I did it right. If I was wrong, she would tell me to try again.” (3rd Grade Student)
“If you get stuck, you’re supposed to tell the teacher. Ms Davis will give you hints.” (4th Grade Student)
“Ms. Cartwright read it [science] to me. If it was a hard question, she said, ‘Hit review.’ She showed me how to do one. She drew [a picture] for me,” student said. “At [my previous school] my teacher didn’t read the paragraphs. Ms. Cartwright was more helpful.” (5th Grade Student)

Their teachers told investigators that they could not explain students’ test scores. Only members of the principal’s “inner circle” were allowed to proctor SOL tests, and those results were withheld from them. These teachers were suspicious, but they did not know how or when the cheating was taking place.

Despite all of this, the community was very loyal to the principal. This included parents, like PTA president Mariah White, who did not want to see the cheating ring fired.

Days after the VDOE’s investigation, Ms. White showed up to give public comment at the June 18th, 2018 School Board meeting. She shared various objections to the investigation:

Why weren’t parents and staff notified ahead of time?

“The VDOE came in like you were the FBI… pulling our kids into interviews without the permission of the parents.”

Why did the all-white VDOE only investigate black schools?

“Let me make this clear. Everyone that came in from VDOE - they were caucasian. They were white! How do you think these kids at Carver could actually deal with that? They not used to that…
Then you did a selection of 3 schools - Blackwell, Mason, Carver - Why were all three schools black schools? Out of 19 out of 44 schools that were accredited.”

It’s not clear if Ms. White believed the investigation was intended to embarrass the Carver community, but it sounds like that was the effect.

“All I kept hearing [from parents] is ‘My child has failed’… half of the kids are [gifted and] talented.
…These children, just because they live in poverty doesn’t mean that their parents don’t have education… when we call Carver ‘in poverty’ and kids ‘in poverty’ - my kids go to Carver, they are not in poverty. Don’t get it twisted. I am very much educated. I have the degrees that prove it. Everybody that lives in Carver is not ‘in poverty’ or uneducated - because we are.
Don’t let our kids believe that they’re cheaters. Because they’re not.”

These videos are clipped on twitter, but you can also find this 5 minute public comment on YouTube. (35 Minute mark)

It’s also not clear if what Ms. White did next was a show of loyalty to the principal, or perhaps to prevent further embarrassment. Whatever the reason, she joined Carver staff in a cover-up effort.

When the VDOE announced that Carver students would need retake the SOLs, White & Co. decided to exploit a loophole: The SOL opt-out form.

The thinking was: the VDOE can’t prove students cheated if those students never take that retest.

“I was the first to opt out. I wanted to set an example… Parents had the option to opt out… I went over there to the parents and talked to them. They didn’t even know [they had the option to opt out].”

She also made signs and held them outside of the school, while one teacher went door-to-door making house calls, and another handed out opt-out forms in the drive through line.

This opt-out campaign was successful. 70% of parents submitted their forms, 65% of whom did so over the course of just three days.

The VDOE released this report about a month later. Someone quickly shared it with the media. The story - and the community’s embarrassment - exploded. Ms. White showed up to the School Board Meeting a few days later to share her frustrations.

“The other night - I asked the question: who was the one who gave out the leak before it was even acknowledged to the news?…
Behind closed doors does not mean under the door or beside the door or open the door. To let - to damage other people’s careers, and never have another job.. in the state.”

She credits the 2nd District school Board member, Scott Barlow, with initiating the audit.

The “leak” was Kamras, who broke the news in a press conference on July 30th in the name of transparency.

She lists a bunch of other things for the school administration to fix at Carver - bathrooms, mold, a gym.

“I don’t work for Richmond Public Schools. But I am a parent, and I plan to be here as much as I possibly can. I plan to look at my district representative - EVEN MORE - this upcoming year.”
“I base my values on trust and loyalty. I didn’t get that trust. I had to explain to my two little boys that go to Carver what is happening - and when they get back, a whole new everything [principal and staff]. That’s hurting. Whether you all know it or not, that’s hurting… that children have to go through that.”

Twitter video clips (1 , 2); YouTube (13 minute mark)

The next year, Carver’s SOL scores plummeted from the 3rd best in the city, to the 2nd-worst.

I find the media’s coverage of all of this incredibly misleading. White was repeatedly portrayed as an upset parent who had lost trust.

Alongside quotes like this one from the new superintendent - the implication was that Carver parents were upset they’d been lied to by a cheating principal and staff.

"The adults who orchestrated the systemic cheating violated a sacred trust with our students and our families," Kamras said. "I want to assure the public that the individuals involved will be help accountable. Pending board approval, no one who was involved with the scandal will be employed by Richmond Public Schools when the school year begins."

But, White’s public comments do not suggest this. She does not speak to how these students cannot read, or what long-term implications this will - and has - had for thousands of past and present Carver students.

Instead, she is “angry” because:

School Board Rep Scott Barlow “executed the audit.”
The VDOE investigated Carver.
The VDOE retested students.
The RPS Administration forced Carver staff to resign.
The Superintendent “leaked” the information to the press.
The Press portrayed Carver students and parents as uneducated, and living in poverty.
This embarrassed the community, and ripped away their Blue Ribbon status.

She may have also been upset about illiteracy - but I have found no evidence that she said so.

So, when she runs for School Board in 2020, and defeats Scott Barlow, the public is completely unaware of her grudge against the administration.

They do not know she will vote against renewing the superintendent’s contract just weeks into her term.
They do not know why she continues to vote against his employment, or publicly call for his suspension.
They do not understand why she opposes his agenda for pandemic reopening or recovery.
They may even buy into her lies about the Superintendent’s negligence.
Look. The Board votes on this man’s future with the district once again in October. They have consistently manufactured headlines that paint him as incompetent, insubordinate, or negligent so that they can fire him with cause. (That requires 5 votes, whereas firing him without cause requires 6.) I do not know if they have either. I frankly, cannot continue to care. He’s a big boy and will land on his feet because he’s an ivy-league educated, national teacher of the year with lots of doors open to him.
What concerns me is that the health of our school division often comes down to a single vote.
I candidly do not believe that is a power that Ms White - with her record of putting cheating teachers and administrators ahead of Richmond students - should have. If a majority of 2nd district voters disagree with me, that’s fine - I’ll deal. But this is information they should have had in 2020, and should have now, before making that decision.
On that note, I’ll close with this:
There are 15 more months until the 2024 election. Every seat on School Board is up for grabs. Currently, they are all running unopposed.

I’ll be back in a few days with an August 21st meeting summary. Thanks, as always, for your continued interest in our public schools. Cheers!

RPS Rewind: The Carver Cheating Scandal