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Documents released in fraud investigation

Former principal claims ESE fraud dates back at least to 2014

Eric Cravey
Posted 8/24/16

GREEN COVE SPRINGS – When she first learned principals were placing students into Exceptional Student Education to avoid taking the rigorous state test required for graduation, Susan Sailor was …

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Documents released in fraud investigation

Former principal claims ESE fraud dates back at least to 2014


Posted

Read the document in its entirety here.

GREEN COVE SPRINGS – When she first learned principals were placing students into Exceptional Student Education to avoid taking the rigorous state test required for graduation, Susan Sailor was principal of Keystone Heights Junior-Senior High School, according to documents released from the Florida Department of Education’s Office of the Inspector General.
That was October 2014 when she was attending a principal’s meeting at the Teacher Training Center at Fleming Island High.
“I inquired as to what they were doing and they were surprised I was not doing the same thing. They were telling me how to move them to ESE so they didn’t count against them in their school grade or graduation rate and would actually increase the district’s graduation rate,” states the document.
The document is part of a packet of documents released after Oscar Restrepo, director of investigations with the Office of the Inspector General, met with Sailor on Aug. 15 at the Clay County Education Association’s Middleburg headquarters. Now, an English teacher with Clay Virtual Academy, Sailor – who holds a doctorate in curriculum and instruction – rejoined the teacher’s union this past January.
After hearing that principals at Clay, Ridgeview and Oakleaf high schools were moving students to ESE simply to boost graduation rates, Sailor attempted to take action, although, not immediately.
“July 7, 2015 - My first meeting with Superintendent Charlie VanZant[Jr.] about what the principals were doing with their ESE students. I told him that it wasn’t right and something needed to be done. I requested a meeting. August 27, 2015 - 7 am breakfast at Monahan’s in Green Cove Springs- I met with Mr. VanZant again about what I knew principals were doing,” states Restrepo’s findings.
According to the investigation documents, it was another principal’s meeting, this time on October 15, 2015 where she learned the ESE fraud was taking place at more high schools.
“[Deborah] Segreto [Ridgeview High principal], was discussing how they would also have students labeled ESE so that they could be exempt for passing the state test or be transferred to Bannerman Learning Center(an alternative school whose school grade is excused [because] of such). They spoke in more detail stating that they would students labeled ‘Failure to Thrive’,” states Restrepo’s document.
Months would go by, yet Sailor tried to get Van Zant to take corrective action. She asked her husband, Joel Sailor, to meet with Van Zant on February 27, 2016 at Keystone Heights Elementary where he “asked him to investigate my claims as soon as possible.”
After months of trying to get Van Zant to conduct an investigation, Sailor moved up the administrative chain still seeking to be heard. On Aug. 4, she emailed a detailed letter to the five-member school board and within a day, the story was leaked to the press.
Criticized for the timing in which she sent her Aug. 4 email, Sailor said she had to come forward after learning the school district had dropped to a “B” grade and No. 20 in the state when school grades were released in July.
After meeting with the state investigator during the day on Aug. 15, Sailor and her husband met with Van Zant after work that day, but this time they sought the guidance of their church pastor. In that meeting, they discussed an allegation Sailor made Aug. 4 in which she stated Van Zant had used a scholarly article she had written. She said he turned in the paper as his own work while completing a master’s degree, however, she has clarified that the paper she wrote was “research I conducted and wrote about for Mr. Van Zant was used in Summer Leadership training with district administrators.”
At the meeting with their pastor, both Van Zant and Sailor agreed to issue clarifying statements on Aug. 16. She did issue a statement, however, Van Zant did not. Instead, he taped an interview with a Jacksonville TV reporter in which he described her allegations as “gutter politics” and called her a disgruntled employee. He also blamed the teacher’s union and board members Carol Studdard and Janice Kerekes as being behind the allegations. He also claimed that Sailor had been offered “a high paying job” by his Republican opponent Addison Davis of Oakleaf.
“He agreed that it was my work and he had not attributed it to me. I suggested that Mr. Van Zant go public with this statement and his response was, ‘Not before the election’,” Sailor said in a press conference on Aug. 19 at the CCEA headquarters.
In the meantime, the Office of the Inspector General has written a letter to the Clay County School Board directing the board to conduct an investigation. At the Aug. 18 school board meeting, Chairman Johnna McKinnon opened the meeting by saying that the district has asked the Florida Association of District School Superintendents to conduct an investigation without getting an appropriate vote from the full school board.
While she stated that the issue and the allegations would not be discussed at the meeting, she launched into a 10-minute discussion.
“I personally will not be part of any discussion that violates the due process rights of our employees and if any board member chooses to do so during their comment period, they can do so, they do so at their own risk,” McKinnon said.
Studdard asked McKinnon if the full board, as prescribed by policy, would have a chance to have input on how the investigation would be conducted, as ordered by the Office of the Inspector General.
“One board member doesn’t decide who is going to do the investigation. You should get the opinions from your fellow board members. This should be a discussion among the board members as to where we want to go, whether it be the superintendent’s association or the Inspector General’s Office or an outside firm or whatever, but that should come to this board,” Studdard said.
Minutes after Studdard spoke, the audience erupted in laughter after board member Betsy Condon cited a school board policy that said such investigations should be conducted by the superintendent or deputy superintendent.
“You can’t do that when the superintendent is the one being investigated,” Studdard responded.
“Excuse me, Mrs. Studdard, I have the floor,” Condon said.
Board member Janice Kerekes attempted to speak, at which point, Condon responded with, “No! I’m speaking!”
“Mrs. Kerekes, we are going to save this for the end,” McKinnon responded minutes later with Kerekes attempted to comment again.
“Ms. McKinnon are you prepared to handle this as one individual board member taking action on behalf of the governing body of the Clay County School District,” Kerekes said.