Westbury High School substitute teacher speaks out on grade changing accusations

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- An HISD substitute teacher who says she was told to change the grades of failing students in her 9th grade reading class to 80 says she has refused the directive, which she received in a handwritten note, allegedly initialed by school principal.

The teacher, who asked not to be identified, told us, "When a child comes into class and tells me I don't have to do a thing, because I am going to get an 80, they're telling me they're entitled, and they are not."

Her apparent resolve is reflected in her decision to give the entire class an incomplete, including a few students whose grades were above 90.

The message was hand-written at the bottom of a class grade sheet. It reads, "All student grades should be 80 and above. Change grade to 80 if grade is below 80."

One of the grades on the sheet was a zero.

She estimates 75 percent of the students in her reading classes were failing.

"Not because they couldn't do the work," she says, "Because they refused to do it."

She says she's met with two HISD auditors this week.

The school district issued this statement earlier this week regarding the allegations:"The HISD Office of Internal Audit is investigating the integrity of grades issued by a substitute teacher at Westbury High School. We can't comment further until the investigation is complete."

The teacher is standing by her position. She says it amounts to social promotion, and in the end, she says it fails to provide students with an education that will prepare them for the workforce.

Advocate Gerry Moneroe, who made the matter public earlier this week, says he plans to ask the District Attorney's Office to investigate the teacher's allegations.