ANNAPOLIS, MD—Governor Larry Hogan right now introduced that he has referred the Office of the Inspector General of Education’s report on widespread grade altering practices in the Baltimore City Public Schools system to the Maryland State Prosecutor and the United States Attorney for the District of Maryland for prison investigation and potential prosecution:
“Providing a world class training for each Maryland scholar, regardless of which neighborhood they occur to develop up in, has been and at all times can be my high precedence. Our administration has offered report funding for Okay-12 training totaling $55 billion, and launched into the largest funding in class building in state historical past.
“In addition to those report investments, I’ve pushed for extra accountability with the intention to elevate educational requirements and root out corruption and mismanagement. In response to a quantity of moral lapses in native faculty methods—together with prison convictions, grade-fixing scandals, and procurement improprieties—we efficiently established the first Office of Inspector General for Education in state historical past.
“In September of 2020, the Inspector General initiated a large-ranging investigation into allegations of grade altering practices in the Baltimore City Public Schools system. In addition to interviews with former and present academics, administrative employees members, and managers, investigators carried out an exhaustive assessment of scholar information, information, and grade change types.
“In its closing report, the Inspector General confirmed the existence of a large grade-fixing scheme in Baltimore City Public Schools, documenting 1000’s of situations of wrongdoing and systemic issues. The report reveals a staggering degree of disregard for the integrity of the instructional system and a transparent lack of accountability at the highest ranges. For years, the faculty system has denied and dismissed allegations of grade fixing, and tried to comb all of it below the rug. None of this must be allowed to occur in any faculty system, not to mention in a single of the most extremely funded massive faculty methods in America. All concerned on this tradition of corruption have to be held accountable.
“After a radical assessment of the Inspector General’s findings, I’m instantly directing the Maryland State Prosecutor to analyze and prosecute any alleged prison malfeasance that will have occurred. Given that along with substantial investments of state tax {dollars}, the faculty system receives federal funding on an annual foundation, I’m additionally referring this matter to the United States Attorney for the District of Maryland to analyze and, the place applicable, convey federal prison fees towards those that perpetrated this fraud and abuse.
“Beyond the legal implications, there has been a clear moral failing by school administrators who appear more concerned with their own image than with the well-being of their students. Too many Baltimore City children have been denied the education they deserve and robbed of opportunities to thrive and succeed. This scandal has broken the bonds of trust between city officials and parents, students and taxpayers.”
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