UPDATED: WGNS Radio recently received an open letter, written by an unknown author or authors with a return address from Holloway High School, addressing misconduct in the proctoring of recent ACT tests.  The letter, which was sent to WGNS in addition to the DNJ, local television, ACT administration, and various Board of Education members, alleges that the ACT proctor was using her smart phone throughout the testing, in violation of ACT testing regulations.

Attentiveness, Page 8 in Supervisor’s Manual of the ACT, 2013

“You must remain attentive to your testing responsibilities throughout the entire administration. Reading (except this Manual or supplemental policy information), grading papers, using a computer, cell phone, recording or media device, talking casually with other staff, or engaging in any activity in the test room not directly related to the administration is not allowed. No one, including testing staff, may eat or drink in the test room (unless approved for medical reasons). See Prohibited Items in the Test Room, page 27. You must walk around the test room to ensure students are working on the correct test. Walking around the test room discourages prohibited behavior and also makes you available to answer questions, respond to illness, or replace defective test materials.”

Prohibited Items in the Test Room, Page 27 in Supervisor’s Manual of the ACT, 2013

Students may not be in the possession of or use cell phones or any other electronic devices at any time, including during the break, and the student must not be able to access them during testing. Calculators may be used during the Mathematics Test but they must be turned off and put away when the student is not working on that test. In addition, students must not use or access the following items at any time while in the test room:

? Textbooks, foreign language or other dictionaries, scratch paper, reading material, notes, or any unapproved testing aids

? Highlight pens, colored pens or pencils, correction fluid or tape

? Tobacco in any form

? Food or beverages, including water

Note: Staff and students may bring snacks and beverages into the test room but may consume them only outside the test room during break.

Staff may not eat, drink, use tobacco, or use cell phones (must be turned off or “silent”), recording or media devices in the test room.

Response:

In response to this charge, the Community Relations Coordinator of the Rutherford County Schools issued the following statement to WGNS:

"First, it's important to realize that the letter writer does not accuse the teacher of using a cell phone to help students cheat in anyway. The primary reason the ACT Board does not allow cell phones is so that tests can't be photographed. Regardless, the school has reported the occurrence to the ACT Board, it has cleared the school of any wrongdoing and stated that no other action was necessary. The Board encouraged the school to remind teachers about the cell phone rule." 

Mr. Evans further told WGNS in an email, "As for the other allegations in the letter, many of those are not based on factual information. However, if any employee wishes to make a complaint about a supervisor, they need to follow the grievance procedure instead of submitting an anonymous letter, which hinders the district's ability to investigate."

So what were those other allegations in the letter?

The letter went on to levy accusations against Holloway Principal Sumatra Drayton regarding an email security breach late last year, alleged threatening behavior by her nephew, and unprofessional conduct in weekly staff meetings.  No person or persons has specifically stepped forward as the authors of the letter, and no supplemental information has been provided to back the claims made within it.

As you can see in the above remarks by Evans, no formal complaints have been filed.