Cheating But Not Cheated: A Memoir of the Atlanta Public Schools Cheating Scandal

ATLANTA - April 16, 2015 - PRLog -- The Atlanta Public Schools (APS) Cheating Scandal is now remembered as the longest criminal trial in Georgia history. The conviction of 11 of 12 defendants verdict sparked concerns after they were found guilty under Georgia’s RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) Law.

The investigation into the school district’s test scores was sparked by back in 2009 after reporters with the Atlanta Journal Constitution found discrepancies in score patterns with the Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (CRCT). The news story led to an investigation that found a high number of score erasures.

The case included years of investigation, testimony, the indictment of 35 teachers and the superintendent on 65-counts, and even the death of two defendants, including APS Superintendent Dr. Beverly Hall.

Christopher Waller, former principal of Parks Middle School, became the “poster child” of the scandal. Waller was labeled as Dr. Hall’s favorite principal in the APS system. In February 2014, Waller took personal and public responsibility for his actions and entered a guilty plea as a first-time offender.

The scandal turned his life upside down. While the investigation and court proceedings took center stage in the media both locally and nationally, Waller and his attorney LaDawn Jones penned a memoir Cheating But Not Cheated. The book was not written for redemption, instead it gives readers a look at the other side of the scandal. Cheating is a lesson in leadership, integrity, morale and community involvement.

Cheating But Not Cheated also provides an inside look at what it took to be a principal at a school that faced a plethora of challenges. Despite the environment around the school, students were given the opportunity to see school as a sanctuary as many of them lived in the midst of chaos.

Cheating But Not Cheated willgive readers Waller’s perspective of what was done by the teachers to produce false results. Yes, there was cheating; however, the students of Parks Middle School were not cheated.

Waller is donating a portion of the proceeds to his favorite charity, Sixth Episcopal District Haiti Fund, an orphanage for children.

Christopher Waller and Attorney LaDawn Jones are available for interviews.