January 15, 2016
JACKSON, Miss. – Heidelberg Elementary School Principal Lowanda Tyler-Jones, who has been charged with violating state law by cheating on state assessments, has been granted a continuance for her hearing before the Commission on Teacher and Administrator Education, Certification and Licensure and Development.
The hearing is now set for 9 a.m. March 7 at the Woolfolk Building, 501 N. West St. in Jackson.
The Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) is seeking to revoke the license of Tyler-Jones. The MDE issued an administrative complaint against Tyler-Jones on Dec. 16, 2015. Her original hearing date was scheduled for Jan. 18, 2016.
The complaint issued against Tyler-Jones is the third complaint filed as part of an ongoing investigation into allegations of testing irregularities at Heidelberg Elementary School in the Clarksdale Municipal School District.
The complaint specifically charges Tyler-Jones with violations of state law pertaining to mandatory state testing, as follows:
- The Respondent participated in, directed, aided, counseled, assisted in, encouraged or failed to report any acts in violation of § 37-16-4(1)(f) of the Mississippi Code of 1972, during the administration of the 2013 Mississippi Curriculum Test Second Edition (MCT2).
Those actions are grounds for revocation or suspension of Tyler-Jones’ educator license.
The investigation into allegations of cheating at Heidelberg began in May 2014. Former Heidelberg Elementary School teacher Frances Smith-Kemp was the first to be served with a complaint alleging she was involved in testing irregularities. Smith-Kemp surrendered her teaching license for two years on July 28, 2015. Former Heidelberg Elementary School teacher Tetra Winters was the second to be served with a complaint alleging her involvement in testing irregularities. The Commission on Teacher and Administrator Education, Certification and Licensure and Development voted on Nov. 18, 2015, to suspend Winters’ license for five years.
Media Contact:
Patrice Guilfoyle, APR
Director of Communications
601-359-3706
Jean Cook, APR
Communications Specialist
601-359-3519