From the article:
"Let us not crucify the teachers and act like there weren’t and aren’t systemic problems that need to be addressed all the way up" -- fired teacher, Damany Lewis
“A teacher is always under a lot of pressure. There is always the weight of student performance on that teacher’s shoulder, along with the expectation and watchful eyes of the administration, the board of education, the superintendent and the state,” Lewis said during Wednesday’s hearing.
Lewis did not dispute the statements in the special investigation. He wasn’t represented by an attorney, and choose not to cross examine either of the witnesses called by APS during the hearing, which is set up like a court proceeding.
When Lewis took the stand, he choose not to answer any direct questions from APS attorneys about statements in the cheating report, saying he didn’t want to incriminate himself.
Instead, an emotional Lewis took a gulp of water and stood while delivering a 10-minute testimony, in which he talked about how much he loved Parks Middle, where he worked for more than a decade. In addition to teaching, he coached sports and also advised the chess club in an effort to contribute more to an impoverished community.
“Somewhere along the way, I started to feel like Parks needed me, and I needed Parks,” he said. “The school climate and overall culture was wonderful. However, the [test] scores were dismal at best. The results overshadowed all of Parks’ positive effects.”
Educators involved in the cheating scandal could face criminal charges as well as the loss of their teaching license. The Professional Standards Commission, which oversees Georgia educators, suspended Lewis’ license for two years, and he was granted criminal immunity for his cooperation with special investigators.
Lewis said he worked with the GBI because he believed telling the truth would help students, and he encouraged other teachers to do the same. Attorneys for APS said Lewis only confessed after he was granted immunity from criminal charges, and they say he “betrayed” the school system.
Fighting back tears, Lewis asked the district to grant him and other teachers from Parks leniency. He thanked APS for allowing him to collect his salary after being placed on administrative leave in July, saying he was “broken” when he learned he would no longer be able to teach.
“The people who are being honest and who have exuded the most character are being persecuted the most and being let go first,” he said. “Let us not crucify the teachers and act like there weren’t and aren’t systemic problems that need to be addressed all the way up.”
