BBBTV12 Serving Anderson, Roane, and Morgan Counties
Information for this story was gathered from a WBIR news report and notes and charges for dismissal by the Anderson County Board of Education – Both are at the bottom of this article
At a board meeting on Monday night, the Anderson County Board of Education voted unanimously to fire two teachers, Rachel Jones and Clay Turpin, for unprofessional conduct, insubordination, and neglect of duty. This decision follows an investigation into irregularities with the credit recovery program at Clinton High School.
Former Clinton High School Principal Dan Jenkins, who resigned last month, was implicated in the investigation. A “charges of dismissal” document revealed that Jones, under Jenkins’ direction, altered grades during the 2022-23 school year. Turpin became involved in the 2023-24 school year after Jones refused to continue the practice.
Jones admitted to investigators that Jenkins had directed her to change grades to improve the school’s graduation rate. During the 2022-23 school year, Clinton High School was recognized as a reward school by the state of Tennessee for its high performance.
The scheme began when Jenkins asked Jones to transfer a student to a virtual program. According to the dismissal document, the student miraculously completed five courses in just eight days. Jenkins allegedly instructed Jones to manipulate the student’s grades, skip questions, skip assignments, and do whatever was necessary to ensure the student passed.
When administrators questioned how several students were completing courses so quickly, Turpin explained that students were using a “test-only” mode to rush through virtual courses. He suspected students were finding answers to quizzes and tests online since they did not receive any instruction. One student’s data showed he completed an entire Geometry course in just 1 hour, 46 minutes, and 40 seconds. Turpin denied tampering with the student’s coursework.
Further investigation by Anderson County Schools found students enrolled in credit recovery classes who were not listed for required end-of-course testing. District leaders also discovered students on track to graduate without the necessary coursework.
The charges of dismissal document also mentioned that Coach Darrell Keith, head coach of Clinton High School’s football team, requested grade changes for a student, which Jenkins approved. Although Jones initially refused, Keith returned with a transcript bearing Jenkins’ signature. After confirming with Jenkins, Jones complied with the request.
Despite these findings, Keith remains the head football coach at Clinton High School. Jones and Turpin cooperated with the district’s investigation, while Jenkins submitted his resignation on a sheet of notebook paper.
