A Dougherty County teacher who rejected a suspension deal may lose her job after being named in the 2009 CRCT cheating report.
Wednesday a tribunal agreed with the superintendent's recommendation not to renew her contract.
The evidence made the difference in the hearing for Nikki Lyons, a former fourth grade teacher at Turner Elementary.
School system attorney, Flin Coleman, played hours of tapes of GBI agents interviewing Lyons, asking what could have caused the high number of wrong to right erasures on the CRCT in her classroom.
Lyons admitted to telling students to look over their work again, and using positive reinforcement.
Her attorney, Howard Stiller, says that was her first year as a teacher and she didn't receive proper training.
But the tribunal said factual evidence is why they ruled in the school system's favor.
"If you're making just a general statement, that's not a violation, but when you go by and look and say check your answers and give specific directions to a student, even if you're not giving them the exact number, then that's still coaching. And that is not permissible in testing," explained Gary Walker, the tribunal chairman.
"I'm disappointed in the decision. I believe that there were unique circumstances in this case because Miss Lyons was a first year teacher and I believe her training for giving the tests were somewhere in between non existent and inadequate," said Stiller.
The school board will vote on the tribunal's recommendation. Stiller says once that decision is made they will decide if they want to appeal.
The tribunal can only agree or disagree with the superintendent's decision. They can't lessen the punishment, but the school board can.
The school system's attorney and the attorneys for six other teachers who were accused of similar cheating methods came to a settlement of a 40 contract day suspension. And the tribunal agreed on the deal.
Lyons was given this same offer, but wanted to have her own hearing.
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The teacher tribunal deliberated and voted to not give Nikki Lyons a contract today. Superintendent Dr. Joshua Murfree had previously recommended the non-renewal, and the board agreed.
Lyons' tribunal hearing got underway about 9:30 for Nikki Lyons, a former teacher at Turner Elementary.
She is one of nearly 50 teachers named in the 2009 CRCT cheating scandal. Lyons and her attorney, Howard Stiller are fighting to get her job back.
The superintendent's recommendation is to not renew her contract.
On May 4th of this year she was given the notice of non-renewal. Lyons is accused of prompting students in various ways to help them on the CRCT to boost scores.
The three member tribunal is made up of three men with extensive backgrounds in education: F. D. Toth, Sam Allen, and Gary Walker. Sidney Cottingham is the hearing officer.
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Attorney Howard Stiller and Nikki Lyons
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