Nashville, Tenn.–Former Stratford High School assistant principal Howard Jones is alleging that fake classes were created and grades were manipulated at the Nashville school to help students graduate, according to WSMV.
Jones made the allegations in an Oct. 1 report by WSMV4 Investigates.
Jones said that while auditing grades at Stratford, he found students placed in classes that were not offered on the school’s master schedule that semester and given failing grades in the alleged fake classes, which qualified them to use Edgenuity, an online credit recovery system used to retake a class. Jones served as assistant principal and grading principal at Stratford High School, where he was responsible for auditing every grade given at the school.
“I’m not going to look good in orange. I think this is, you know, something we should not, should not do,” Jones said. “I’m not going to jail, sir. I think it’s criminal.”
Jones said he raised his concerns with then-Principal Michael Pratt but was told to “just let it go” and “leave it alone.”
An earlier MNPS investigation involving former Principal Michael Steele found grade manipulation and resulted in Steele receiving a three-day suspension, according to WSMV4 Investigates.
The Tennessee Department of Education is currently investigating allegations of grade manipulation at Stratford High School.
