And she would’ve gotten away with it too, if it weren’t for those meddling kids and their student newspaper!
These kids from Kansas would give the Gang a run for their money!
The Booster Redux, the student-run publication at Pittsburgh High School, started out with the goal to write up an introduction for their new principle, Amy Robertson who was hired by the Pittsburg Board of Education on 6 March. While the intent was to inform the student body about the new faculty member, after a few weeks the young reporters quickly realized that something was a little fishy.
The Booster Redux said that during a conference call with the students, Ms Robertson “presented incomplete answers, conflicting dates and inconsistencies in her responses”, the student newspaper reported. The call definitely raised some red flags. “She was going to be the head of our school and we wanted be assured that she was qualified and had the proper credentials,” said editor Trina Paul when the six-student new team did some digging. “We stumbled on some things that most might not consider legitimate credentials.”
The Booster Redux also found that a Corllins University, where Ms Robertson received her master’s and doctorate degrees, was not accredited by the US Department of Education. The college – which does not appear to have a physical address – has been accused of being a diploma mill, where people can buy degrees. The students also discovered that a private for-profit school in Dubai where Ms Roberston served as principal had its licence suspended in 2013 by the United Arab Emirates government, following years of “unsatisfactory” ratings.
The Booster Redux didn’t pull any punches in their March 31st issue.
The school district met on Tuesday night to accept her resignation from the $93,000-a-year position. In a statement, the board said that “in light of the issues that arose, Dr Robertson felt it was in the best interest of the district to resign her position”.
The district superintendent visited the Booster Redux newsroom yesterday to give the students a well-deserved thank you. The good work went viral on social media sites and the kids are receiving accolades from professional journalists all over the country for their investigative prowess.
If the Times Herald is hiring anytime soon, we can think of six well deserving candidates right here!
These accomplished reporters can’t even vote yet.
