The Teacher to Prison Pipeline in Georgia

Here are some quotes from the landmark teacher cheating trial taking place in Georgia but not getting much coverage in the blogosphere or the mainstream press. It's a shame because by shining a spotlight on this trial, the country would finally see all that is wrong with high stakes standardized tests linked to teachers' jobs and security.

From The Detroit Free Press

Ronald Carlson, chair of law emeritus at the University of Georgia, noted that it was rare, if not unprecedented, for teachers to be prosecuted using the racketeering statute. Prosecutors, he said, will attempt to show a conspiracy to achieve ill-gotten gain - in this case, the bonuses.

From The Atlanta Journal Constitution:

But Moner admitted under cross-examination that as the teachers changed answers together, they chatted about the erasures and how “ridiculous” it was. None of them wanted to change answers, but like other prosecution witnesses, Davis 
said she did it because she feared losing her job.

From the Mississippi NAACP:

“This is a witch hunt against black teachers,” the Rev. Timothy McDonald III told the Los Angeles Times.  “Yes, there should be some punishment — suspensions, fines, even loss of jobs — but 35 years in jail? The community did not ask for this kind of prosecution.”

Where is the outrage over these 12 teachers in Atlanta's poorest schools facing 35 years in prison as they were desperately trying to save their jobs and their families?  Seems to me the politicians and business leaders sucking the heart and soul out of America's public school children and putting a noose around the necks of  teachers are the ones who should be on trial.

NCLB, Race to the Top and Common Core are unconstitutional. When private schools are free from excessive, abusive testing and punishments  but public schools students and their teachers are force fed a steady diet of  garbage curriculum tied to high stakes tests, the education is inherently unequal.

Looks like it's time to revisit Brown and end the attack on teachers and poor black and brown students once and for all.