APS Cheating Trial Begins Monday

Twelve former employees of Atlanta Public Schools will be inside a Fulton County courthouse on Monday morning to stand trial for their alleged involvement in the APS cheating scandal which rocked the city, state, and nation.

According to the Associated Press, 35 former administrators, educators, principals, and test coordinators originally faced racketeering charges due to their alleged participation in the cheating program, but 21 of those accused took plea deals. Some may even be called to the stand to testify against their colleagues.

The cheating program allegedly began in 2005, when pressure to meet federally mandated achievement levels in Atlanta schools became so great that several district leaders felt it beneficial to alter the answers given by students on their CRCT exams. Prosecutors allege that Atlanta Public Schools superintendent Beverly Hall was involved in the deception.

Hall is currently battling cancer and will not appear in this first trial, which could last anywhere from four to six months. Jury selection will take approximately a month.