Principal fired for activities surrounding testing

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WDRB reports that former Louisville Male High School principal David Mike has now been fired for "conduct unbecoming of a teacher" by the Jefferson County Public School system. The firing relates to Mike’s failure to “create a proper testing environment and that he told a teacher to destroy documents.”

The inappropriate activity is related to ACT COMPASS testing at Male High. Mike failed to maintain proper testing conditions for this test, which is used for Unbridled Learning school accountability in Kentucky. The possible impact on Male High's overall Unbridled Learning results is unknown.

This sad story isn’t over, however. Mike has a 10-day period where he can appeal the dismissal to the Kentucky Department of Education. Also, Mike and two other Male staff members still face possible action from the Kentucky Educational Professional Standards Board (EPSB). The EPSB process is mostly secret, but several years ago the board did take certificate action against school staff members in Perry County who were involved with inappropriate testing activities on the ACT college entrance test.

The sad news here is that Mike, who held one of the most desirable and well paid high school principal positions in the state, evidently failed to live up to the standards expected of such leaders.

The good news is that the system might finally be starting to change. The era of education’s excessive protection of its own, even when serious miss performance is involved, may be coming to a close.