The Trenton Times published the following article on April 23, 2013. To read the full article, click here.
Trenton school board fires supervisor embroiled in Philadelphia cheating scandal
By Erin Duffy/The Times of Trenton
on April 23, 2013 at 2:11 PM, updated April 23, 2013 at 2:12 PMTRENTON — A language arts supervisor in the Trenton school district who admitted her role in a Philadelphia cheating scandal last month has been terminated, a district official said today.
The Trenton school board voted Monday night to fire Lola Marie O’Rourke, human resources executive director Kathy Smallwood Johnson said today.
“The board did vote to sever the employment relationship,” she said.
O’Rourke, who was hired by the district in September, forfeited her Pennsylvania administrative license last month after admitting she changed answers on standardized tests and gave students answers to inflate state test scores while principal at Locke Elementary School in Philadelphia. She and another principal surrendered their licenses rather than face disciplinary charges.
Trenton Superintendent Francisco Duran, who was previously an assistant superintendent in Philadelphia, said the district knew nothing about O’Rourke tampering with tests until the Philadelphia Inquirer ran a story about the Pennsylvania state investigation on April 3.
Duran repeatedly declined comment on O’Rourke’s employment status when asked before last night’s board meeting.
O’Rourke came to Trenton shortly after she resigned from her job in Philadelphia. She was a literacy supervisor in the district’s office of curriculum, instruction and assessment with an annual salary of $121,970.