Former Atlanta Public Schools superintendent Beverly Hall was among those indicted and initially a bond of $7.5 million had been placed on her release. Hall who had resigned in 2011 following the cheating scandal turned herself in yesterday and denied having any role to do with the cheating. She got her bond reduced to $200,000, as most of the other educators who had turned themselves in.
The scandal was brought to light by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper exposing the unexplained improvements on several Atlanta public schools’ standardized tests. It is said that between 2005 and 2009, standardized tests were fabricated and test scores altered or falsified. Former Georgia attorney general, Michael Bowers, who had investigated the cheating scandal, said that he heard educators cheated to earn bonuses or enhance their careers as well as to simply keep their jobs. It is said that Hall placed tough goals which she expected educators to meet and started a scheme where she rewarded and protected those who achieved those goals through cheating.
Usher/ Collier Heights Elementary School testing coordinator Donald Bullock was among those who surrendered and he was issued a $1 million bond.
