Cheating Scandal Exposed at Gbhs
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Dry weather Escambia blanks leaves seashore Dolphins prone to burn Scandal tarnishes image of school, district 2A Opinion, 6A Sports, 1C SEPT. 27! September 26, 2019 YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER $1.00 It’s coming down Workers remove segments of the old Pensacola Bay Bridge as traffic flows north and southbound on the first of what will be two new spans (shown in the background). The old bridge will be used to create a fishing reef in the gulf of mexico. Brothers Baker Cheating scandal exposed State fines Santa Rosa Schools $700K for school days being too short years, and we have some rules. Some things that had been Y AM RANNON at GBHS B P B Gulf Breeze News © 2019 passed many audits classified as instructional hours in the [email protected] on our calendar and past — like the classes that prepare and school instructional deliver the five minute program with Santa Rosa County has been working hours with no prob- announcements each morning over the Superintendent to with almost $700,000 less in state mon- lem. But suddenly, TV into classrooms — would no longer ies this school year than they had the last in the middle of be allowed as instructional hours, even recommend punishment school year. the school year last though there is a lot of teaching going Superintendent of Schools Tim year, we were told Superintendent on. They also require us to have recess Wyrosdick said, “The state does an au- by the auditors that Tim Wyrosdick for Principal Brothers, blames a change dit on our instructional hours every few they had changed in state rules See Computers Page 2A » Asst. Principal Baker BY PAM BRANNON Citizens pay for sewer lines infrastructure Gulf Breeze News © 2019 — RELATED — [email protected] Gulf Breeze deserves One of the major features of the pro- “These two have installed their infra- BY GLENDA CAUDLE Gulf Breeze High Assistant better, page 6A Gulf Breeze News© 2019 gram got a boost at the Sept. 4 resched- structure. When it is approved, that infra- [email protected] uled City Council business meeting when structure will become the City’s and they Principal Victoria Baker changed her daughter’s grades for one members unanimously approved a STEP (the City) can sell taps to other citizens.” SCHOOL BOARD Nobody wants to talk about them. No- agreement with a Navy Cove Boulevard The homeowners will not make a class for three marking periods body wants to do anything about them. resident (Samuel Lundy) and a Shoreline profit, but they stand an excellent chance last June to make sure her daugh- MEETING But members of the Gulf Breeze City ter was closer to the top of her Drive resident (Rodney Sutton). of recovering the cost of the system they Tonight (Thurs., Sept. 26) Council were engaged in both — talking class ranking. Council member Randy Hebert said have borne, minus their own fee for the 6:30 p.m. and doing — for some time, to get the the City was lucky to have these two service. Superintendent Tim Wyros- Woodlawn Beach Middle city’s residents to hook up to the sewer people do it. The program works this way: dick is recommending at the School collection system and to stop using septic What they did was to accept the ini- • A property owner who is either school board meeting tonight tanks. tial financial responsibility, as private building a new home or opting to put an (Thursday) at Woodlawn Beach 1500 Woodlawn Way While no one is being forced, currently, citizens, for installing sewer main in their existing home on the sewer system un- Middle School that Baker be Gulf Breeze to give up a septic tank that is function- neighborhoods. dertakes to pay for the cost of providing fired from her administrator job. ing properly, the Septic Tank Elimination “Two years ago, (the City of Gulf the necessary infrastructure for the area Principal Danny Brothers will dation, also, for not doing more Program provides several alternatives Breeze) agreed to let private citizens put to be served. receive a five-day suspension to “prevent a conflict of interest” to accomplish the goal of making Gulf in sewer mains,” City Engineer Thomas without pay if the school board Breeze a septic tank-free community. accepts Wyrosdick’s recommen- Lambert reminded Council members. See Citizens Page 3A » See Asst. Principal Page 2A » FRI 9/27 SAT 9/28 SUN 9/29 Arrest Report . 3A Calendar .........3A & 5A Mailing Statement WEEKEND SUNNY SUNNY SUNNY Classifieds/Legals .......6B on Opinion Page Crossword Puzzle.......5B TWO SECTIONS, Weather-plus hi 88/lo 76 hi 88/lo 76 hi 89/lo 75 Movies ................5A 16 PAGES rain: 10% rain: 10% rain: 10% Opinion . 6A VOL. 19, NO. 39 Sports ...............1-8B SEPTEMBER 26, 2019 Contact a Kuhn Realty Agent today to view this home 7 CADIZ ST. Larry Kuhn DĂƩĂǀŝƐ Gulf Breeze Proper 850-384-9707 850-293-4882 Karli Brothers Lia Bullock 850-324-2121 850-982-6623 <ĂƟĞDĂLJ :ĂĐŬDĞĂĚŽƌ ϰϲϵ<Ͳϰͬϯ͘ϱͲϮϵϲϴƐƋ͘Ō͘ MLS #558150 323-336-7998 850-393-3031 Kuhn Realty | 1216 N. Palafox A | Pensacola | 850-266-7557 | kuhnrealty.com 2A September 26, 2019 GULF BREEZE NEWS gulfbreezenews.com Asst. principal changed daughter’s grades SCHOOL BRIEFS multiple times; principal failed to act Debate team to visit newly constructed building. The 1974 graduating class included Her class ranking improved from 7th to 2nd Rotary Club Oct. 1 150 members. The planning committee is » Continued from Page 1A the change of grades was made without to prevent a conflict of interest by not di- The Gulf Breeze High looking for classmates to invite consulting the teacher from that class and recting the assistant principal to not handle School Debate Team will attend to the events to be held October in the grade changing. went against Gulf Breeze High School pro- the grade change issue, since it involved the Gulf Breeze Rotary Club 25th -27th. Brothers and Baker were sent letters ex- cedures. their child.” meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 1 to For further information con- plaining the actions, with the head of the Principal Danny Brothers evidently The second point in the letter to Brothers provide a live, unscripted, no- tact Julie Marshall by email; letter saying they were hand delivered, knew the assistant principal planned to listed “Failure to communicate with sub- topic-notice debate. [email protected] or certified and “personal and confidential” change the grades, according to the certi- ordinates.” That is where the letter seems Led by the Debate Team visit the Facebook page: GBHS — even though copies of the letter are pub- fied, personal and confidential letter he to indicate that Brothers knew about the Captain Peyton Redmyer, the Class Reunion 1974. lished as part of the school board agenda’s received that was published in the agenda assistant principal’s intent to change the debaters will get their topic just background materials for the public. back-up materials. Wyrosdick said in the grades, with the letter outlining: “Based on a few minutes prior to taking the Baker’s letter outlined that at the Sept. letter that he planned to recommend Broth- the conversation in March with the teacher floor and showing their debat- Belmont University 26 meeting, Wyrosdick planned to recom- ers receive a five-day suspension without about being uncomfortable, then in June ing skills. These young debaters draws record 8,481 mend an unpaid suspension between that pay from Oct. 11 to Oct. 18 since he com- when approached with the request contrary are already award-winners in meeting and the next school board meeting mitted violations of Principals of Profes- to what you believed the teacher’s decision Florida. Students for Fall on Oct. 10. sional Conduct for Educators under the would be, you failed to consult with the Gulf Breeze Rotary Club Then, at the Oct. 10 meeting, Wyrosdick Florida Administrative Code and violations teacher prior to or after the grade change. meets at the Andrews Athletic NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Sar- said he would recommend her “adminis- of school board policy rules. Your statement indicated you believed the Performance Center on Tues- ah Brown of Navarre and Ser- trative contract be terminated for cause,” Brothers’ violations were listed as “Fail- assistant principal would follow school days at 7 a.m. ena Carpenter of Gulf Breeze beginning Oct. 11. The letter said she had ure to Prevent Conflict of Interest.” The policy regarding grade changes with the were among those in Belmont University’s record-breaking committed “violations of Principals of Pro- letter explained that in March 2019, ac- teacher being consulted.” GBHS Class of fessional Conduct for Educators” under the cording to what a teacher stated and what The letter said Brothers should have enrollment number as the Uni- state’s administrative code. Brothers verified during the investigation, had a “follow-up conversation” with the 1974 planning versity welcomed 8,481 students Baker’s violations were listed in the let- a teacher had been approached by the as- teacher to make sure the assistant principal 45th reunion to campus this fall, tripling the 2,796 students enrolled in 2000 ter, citing “from your own statements and sistant principal’s child requesting a “deal” had communicated with the teacher. Both Gulf Breeze High School and marking a 57 percent in- witness statements that June 6 you changed relating to a first semester average grade letters were signed by their recipients. The opened in 1970 with approxi- crease in the last decade alone. grades for multiple assignments for the 1st, change if the student performed well dur- administrators were told they each had 15 mately 450 students.