Tribunal hearing for Adrienne Savage underway - WALB.com, Albany News, Weather, Sports

UPDATED:

A smiling Adrienne Savage hugged her friends and family members after the tribunal's decision was announced.

They rejected the superintendent's recommendation not to renew her contract and suggested she go back to work at West Town Elementary School with no suspension.

"I'm elated that this is over with because I'm ready to get back to work so that I can get to my kids and get them ready to prepare for whatever tests that they have coming forth," said Savage. 

The hearing came down to one teacher's word against another.

In opening statements school system attorney Flin Coleman says West Town Principal Alene Pringle told fifth grade teachers to walk through other classrooms when their subject was being tested.

Retired math teacher Gloria Mosely testified Savage assisted two students in her class during her walk through.

"She turned the pages, looked at the question, checked her answers and gave her a thumb up," said Mosely.

Mosely says Savage also approached another student, flipped the pages in the test booklet and pointed repeatedly, then the girl started erasing.

Mosely claims she confronted Savage in the classroom, but Ophelia Farrar, the other proctor who testified, never saw anything unusual.  And Savage denies all accusations.

Savage's attorney, Charlie Cox, questioned Mosely's honesty, pointing out that she first lied to GBI agents, before admitting to changing answers on several tests.

The tribunal ultimately found Savage more credible.  The chairman says there wasn't enough evidence against her.

"I cannot and I don't think the members of the tribunal, who I think are outstanding individuals to work with, could really say that person ought to be fired because of what that person said he or she did," explained the tribunal chairman, Edward Dyson.

And Coleman wasn't surprised by the outcome.  "It's a difficult case to make when you have someone who's admittedly already been dishonest at some point," said Coleman.

The school board will ultimately decide whether Savage can go back to the classroom.

The CRCT tribunal hearings are done now, but the school board still has to vote on several of the panel's recommendations.

Former principal Alene Pringle resigned in January about the same time that Gloria Mosely retired.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dougherty Co. Schools Superintendent Dr. Joshua Murfree's recommendation is non-renewal of her contract, but that was rejected by the tribunal at their hearing Tuesday morning.

The group voted unanimously to reject the superintendent's recommendation of non-renewal. 

Adrienne Savage, a former fifth grade teacher from West Town Elementary school was accused of assisting students during the 2009 CRCT.

The defense called Adrienne Savage herself as their first witness about 11:30 Tuesday.  She denied cheating or promoting students during the CRCT testing. 

Just before that, Flin Coleman, the school system's attorney, called Gloria Mosely to the stand as his second witness. 

Mosely claims she saw Adrienne Savage walk up to a student while they were taking the CRCT, turn the page in the test booklet, look at the test and then gave the student a thumbs up. 

She also said she saw Savage walked up to another student and point at the test.  She never heard anything being said between Savage and the students.

Mosely retired this past January because of the cheating scandal.  Mosely admitted to changing several answers on the CRCT.  She said the principal at the time, Alene Pringle, instructed her to cheat. 

Savage's attorney, Charlie Cox, said the only evidence is the statement from another teacher who was pressed by GBI agents.

Savage denies ever prompting students during the test. 

Savage was one of 49 educators named in the state's CRCT cheating report.

T. Gamble, an attorney from Dawson was the hearing officer.

The panel was made up of three men with extensive backgrounds in education, Sam Allen, Edward Dyson and Charles Strickland.

This is the last scheduled tribunal hearing for Dougherty County schools.

Copyright 2012 WALB.  All rights reserved.