HOUSTON – The principal at Westbury High School asked a substitute/associate teacher to change the grades of 26 students from failing to a passing grade of 80, according to an HISD internal audit.
The investigation was initiated after the substitute/associate teacher gave the United Urban Alumni Association a class roster of 30 Westbury students, their grades and a handwritten note that reportedly read, "All students grades should be 80 and above. Change grade to 80 if grade is below 80." The note was then shared by UUAA with HISD.
The HISD internal audit revealed that the grade changes between the teacher's electronic grade book and the final cycle grades entered into its system were not the same.
HISD said the principal directed staff to change the grades because "there was no Certified Teacher of Record who could confirm the Associate Teacher's grades."
The district released a statement that read in part, "HISD takes seriously its responsibility to protect the integrity of the student academic grading process. These findings are now being reviewed by HISD administration to determine the next steps."
"We saw the memo," Gayle Fallon, the president of the Houston Federation of Teachers, said. "It said give all of them an 80 at least, which is absolutely absurd if the child didn't earn an 80."
Fallon told KPRC 2 that wrongly changing a student's grade is a crime because it is forging a state document.
"The Texas education code does not allow anyone other than the teacher who gave the grade, to change the grade," Fallon said.
Gerry Monroe, the executive director of the United Urban Alumni Association, said he was one of the first people to see the memo.
"The principal basically initialed this document," Monroe said. "Bottom line, this is illegal."
The substitute teacher, who doesn't want to be identified, is still working at Westbury High School.
The teacher involved in this case plans to file a complaint against the principal with the Texas Education Agency and the District Attorney's office.