Between the Lines on MNPS’ Call for Whistleblowers

When Metro Schools teachers opened their inboxes late last week or early this one, they found a letter from the interim director of schools looking for tattletales. 

The note came in light of a blinding series of TV news stories on several Nashville schools allegedly finding ways to exempt low-performing students from taking state standardized tests in an apparent effort to improve school test scores. The district's upper echelon says it is taking a deep dive into records to investigate.

But it's worth noting this plea acknowledges that school teachers and support staff lack trust in the district, which has been plagued by a lingering “culture of fear” that has kept whistleblowers from feeling safe enough to come forward or push against their administration.  

After last week’s barrage of negative TV news stories from NewsChannel 5 with whistleblowers alleging some Metro Nashville high schools have padded their test scores using various schemes to yank kids from taking state standardized tests by rerouting them into make-up classes, Interim Director of Schools Chris Henson urged staff to blow the whistle on any academic impropriety. 

If you know of an issue, report it to your principal, he says. If it’s not taken seriously there, he says to report it to your principal’s boss at the Central Office. If you don’t feel good about either of those options, report it anonymously to the Department of Internal Audit in Metro Government.

The problem with the first two choices is many staff members and principals either distrust or fear the Department of Leadership and Learning, which oversees academics. Chief Academic Officer Jay Steele, the love-him-or-hate him leader of the department, struggles with a reputation for bullheaded, top down leadership, as does his staff which oversees district schools. He was passed over for consideration to become the next director of schools by a search firm in part because he was too controversial, multiple sources say.  Teachers have said the district's culture of fear has wained in recent years, but still exists.

Steele, responsible for all schools in the district, has yet to go on camera to answer to the allegations, declining to be interviewed. 

Here’s more of what Henson said (emphasis is his):

We have launched an extensive internal review of district data to get definitive answers on whether or not the allegations being made in Mr. Williams’ stories are true, including a review of transaction logs to look for mid-semester course changes. This is intensive, time-consuming work. To expedite this work, we ask that if you believe academic impropriety of any kind is taking place in our schools – but especially the type of actions detailed in Mr. Williams’ stories – to elevate these concerns to district leadership so that we can properly investigate and address them.

School employees are encouraged to report concerns to their principals and then elevate the issue to the district office, if you believe it is not appropriately addressed at the school level. The district leaders for each tier are listed below. They can be contacted using a dial-by-name directory by calling (615) 259-3282.

Aimee Wyatt, Executive Officer for High Schools
Antoinette Williams, Executive Officer for Middle Schools
Vanessa Garcia, Executive Officer for Elementary Schools

If you do not feel comfortable using these reporting channels that are regularly available to you, we encourage you to share the information without fear of retaliation or punishment of any kind by reporting specific details anonymously to the Department of Internal Audit in Metro Government.

The Metropolitan Nashville Government Office of Internal Audit provides employees with a means to anonymously communicate any fraud, waste, or abuse concerns. You can contact the Metro Nashville Hotline 24 hours a day toll-free at 1-855-252-7606 or at www.hotline-services.com, use organization name ‘Metro Nashville’. Any information you report will be shared with us to further investigate, but you will have the security of sharing this information with complete anonymity.

Our goal is to get to the bottom of these concerns as quickly as possible, address any issues that are identified, or clear the air if no problems are identified. We are here to serve our students first and foremost, and if a disservice is taking place against our students, we want to know about it and correct it. You work for Metro Schools because you care about improving the lives of the young people we serve. Please make a proper report of any issue that goes against our district policies or values.

For what it’s worth, we’re also taking tips

or at

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The school board, whose members jump at the mere mention of the phrase “charter school” are silent on this issue. At the first school board meeting since the News Channel 5 reports began airing issues about the schools is this coming Tuesday. As of this posting, there is no mention of the saga on the agenda.