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Atlanta schools fail the ethics test

10 Jul 2011 - Preaching the News for Sunday

The word of God is trustworthy, the reading from the Book of Isaiah promises, but many temptations can keep us from really understanding it, warns this Sunday’s gospel parable of the sower and the seeds. And while the psalmist promises a "fruitful harvest,” it seems the Atlanta public school district’s decade of bountiful gains in standardized test results are not trustworthy after all. A state investigation found that at least 178 teachers and administrators succumbed to the temptation to cheat in reporting test results. The office of Georgia Governor Nathan Deal on Tuesday released a report from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation that named the teachers and principals involved in what appears to be the largest of dozens of major cheating scandals unearthed across the country. The allegations point to an ongoing problem for U.S. education, which has developed an ever-increasing dependence on standardized tests. The report on the Atlanta Public Schools indicates a "widespread" conspiracy on the part of teachers, principals, and administrators to fix answers on a statewide competency test, punish whistle-blowers, and hide improprieties. It "confirms our worst fears," said Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed. "There is no doubt that systemic cheating occurred on a widespread basis in the school system." The news is “absolutely devastating," said Brenda Muhammad, chairwoman of the Atlanta school board. "It’s our children. You just don’t cheat children.” The investigation tarnishes the 12-year tenure of Superintendent Beverly Hall, who was named U.S. Superintendent of the Year in 2009 largely because of the school system's reported gains in student performance--especially in inner-city schools. The investigation shows that cheating began as early as 2001 and that “clear and significant” warnings were raised as early as December 2005. Ten states now use test scores as the main criterion in teacher evaluations. Other states reward high-scoring teachers with up to $25,000 bonuses, while low scores could result in principals losing their jobs or entire schools closing. Even as the number of scandals grows, experts say it remains fairly easy for teachers and principals to get away with ethical lapses. Sources: Articles by Patrik Jonsson for the Christian Science Monitor and Kim Severson for the New York Times

test results atlanta public schools cheating standardized tests beverly hall kasim reed

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Cycling ring doped and duped the testers

28 Oct 2012 - Preaching the News for Sunday

“Each of us makes decisions to close our eyes to a lot we prefer not to see,” which “puts us at risk as we participate in certain grand lies,” says Alice Camille about spiritual blindness and the Sunday gospel theme of blindness and restoration of sight. A case of silent collusion and participation in a grand lie in professional cycling came to a stunning conclusion Monday when cancer survivor and American sports icon Lance Armstrong was stripped of his 7 Tour de France championships for doping to win his titles and for playing an instrumental role in a massive secret doping ring in the tainted sport.International cycling's governing body Monday accepted the findings of a U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) report about the elaborate doping program involving Armstrong, not only stripping the famed athlete of his titles but also banning him from competition for life.International Cycling Union (UCI) President Pat McQuaid said that Armstrong’s teams had a “win at all costs” attitude fueled by “deceit, intimidation, coercion, and evasion” and that all of the evidence was there to prove that Armstrong doped. Armstrong, who has vehemently denied ever doping, declined to comment Monday. By early Tuesday his biography on his Twitter page had been changed to no longer say he is the seven-time Tour de France winner.The USADA sent 1,000-plus pages of documentation to the UCI, including a report from 26 witnesses, among them 11 former Armstrong teammates, who alleged Armstrong and his teams used steroids, the blood-booster EPO, blood transfusions, and testosterone and hid it from testers in a sophisticated doping scheme during his Tour de France title runs."It's a very nasty story," said Don Catlin, the International Olympic Committee medical commission member who has presided over sports drug testing since the 1980s. "Doping control has a lot of problems."Homily hint: Jesus was kind and patient with a lot of shortcomings, but he didn’t have much tolerance for lying, cheating, and hypocrisy. Perhaps that is why he took so well to blind Bartimaeus in the gospel story, who had not a hint of guile in him. Though blind, he saw the truth and spoke it clearly. May we all do so as well. Sources: Articles by Lance Pugmire for the Los Angeles Times and Juliet Macur for the New York Times

cheating lance armstrong cycling doping don catlin pat mcquaid international cycling union us anti-doping agency tour de france

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Soccer honchos clearly out of bounds

31 May 2015 - Preaching the News for Sunday

It is made clear in this Sunday’s first reading that when it comes to the law of the Lord, Moses expects us to “keep his statutes and commandments that I enjoin on you today.” Apparently officials of soccer’s world governing board FIFA never got the memo. Fourteen people, including high-ranking FIFA officials, were charged Wednesday in a more than $150-million racketeering and fraud scheme that prosecutors said had corrupted the world’s most popular sport while lining defendants’ pockets with millions of dollars. The charges, which coincided with raids in Zurich, Switzerland, and Miami, followed a three-year FBI investigation into alleged crimes that date back more than 20 years. Homily hint: Part of the appeal of sporting events is the notion of the level playing field, where everyone starts off with the same chance at doing well. When the deck is stacked and money corrupts a game, the sporting spirit is violated. Be a voice for honesty and integrity in sporting events grand and small. For more on the soccer scandal, see: 'FIFA is imploding': 14 charged in corruption probe; at least 8 arrested

cheating sports fair play

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Volkswagen strays from the right road

27 Sep 2015 - Preaching the News for Sunday

The psalmist is aware of the snares of sin and realizes the Lord “can detect failings.” The leadership of Volkswagen Group apparently believed they could cheat on U.S. emissions tests without being detected. All of that has unraveled now, and on Wednesday, Volkswagen Group announced that its embattled chief executive, Martin Winterkorn, would be stepping down. The news followed the German car giant's admission that it rigged software to cheat on U.S. emissions tests. The potential reputation and monetary damage the company is facing is enormous, say leadership and governance experts. "Warren Buffett has often noted that you build a reputation over years and decades, but you destroy it in a blink of an eye," said Wharton professor of legal studies and business ethics Thomas Donaldson. "Well, Volkswagen just blinked." Homily hint: Volkswagen, with its beloved “Bug,” has been an iconic brand of simple living and German engineering integrity. All of that has crumbled in light of the shocking revelations of its brazen cheating to hide its polluting diesel engines. The company faces a long road to reconcile itself to consumers and regulators. But all of us have strayed from the right road, so we also need to make space for VW to find its way again. For more on the Volkswagen story, see: The absolutely massive challenge ahead for Volkswagen’s next CEO; Volkswagen Scandal Pressures CEO; Q&A: A look at Volkswagen's emissions crisis

integrity cheating business ethics volkswagen

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Homily stories

19 Sep 2010 - Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

I used to play volleyball at a park with my brother and a bunch of guys from his parish. We had a great time with lots of spirited play and great volleys. We thought we were getting pretty good, too. One day a group of newcomers joined us and things changed. One of the newcomers served the ball, one of our guys hit the ball back over the net, then the server just grabbed the ball, added a point to their score, and served again. We were flummoxed. What was he up to? Quite disdainfully he began to explain in great detail that the way we played did not comply with the International Rules of Volleyball. He called our good hits carries, our amazing slams palming the ball, our two-hand shots double hits. Worst of all, he called us all cheaters. Up until that moment we were willing to learn a few things, but to call us cheaters was tantamount to fighting words. We played by different rules, that's all. Rules that we all grew up with and were comfortable with. And we got pretty savvy playing by those rules. The unjust steward in the gospel played by different rules than we're used to. We'd call the guy a cheat. Fortunately for him (though too bad for their customers), his boss played by the same rules. But according to those morally iffy rules, he was pretty savvy at playing his game. Jesus wishes we were just that crafty at living out our faith.

Authors Tom McGrath

Rules cheating Justice

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Homily stories

19 Sep 2010 - Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

When I was a kid a corner store opened up across the street from the public school, obviously looking for the children's business. It sold candy and toys, the cheap but gaudy kind that attracted your allowance, all of it, without your having to ask your parents for more money. The store should have been a natural money maker. But after a while none of us would go there. We quickly (and insensitively) nicknamed it the gyp joint. We all had a story about how we were cheated at the store. Merle had bought six balloons for a nickel, and three of them had holes. Larry bought a yo-yo and was given a used one, not the one he had selected. Pat ordered a chocolate malt, and it only filled half her glass. There were other stores we could go to and we did, leaving the corner store to close due to lack of business. They had fooled none of us. Do we really think we can fool God and get away with what we know in our hearts is cruel, mean, unfair, unkind, or dishonest behavior? Sometimes our society seems to indicate that something is immoral only when we get caught. But in the depths of our hearts we know better than that. God knows that too. Amos the prophet reminds us that God will never forget what we do. And the gospel states that we cannot serve two masters. So clearly there are some choices we need to make. And we need to make them over and over again.

Authors Father Dominic Grassi

money cheating Honesty

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Exploring the word

18 Sep 2016 - Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

When I’m pope, Catechetical Sunday will be elevated to a high holy day. The color of today’s vestments will be red, because religion teachers are the unsung martyrs of the church. Pope John XXIII understood this when he advised the young man who insisted he wanted to sacrifice his life for the gospel: “Don’t be a martyr. Be a teacher. It’s much harder.” The ministry of Jesus exemplifies this point. He heals the sick, walks on water, multiplies loaves, and raises the dead on three occasions. But chances are the hardest activity of his career was the teaching. Healing and miracle working are tasks Jesus can perform on his own authority. While a show of faith is gratefully received, it’s not required. Meanwhile catechesis—the unpacking of divine mysteries for mortal inspection—does involve our willingness and investment. Jesus can make a hemorrhaging woman stop bleeding and a blind man see. But he can’t make us hear what we refuse to hear. Jesus can’t force a closed heart to open. That’s what makes teaching so challenging and often frustrating. A catechist can lay out the most beautiful lesson in the world, but if a student refuses to receive it, it’s as if no words were spoken. As a master catechist, Jesus tells story after story, resembling nothing so much as the mad sower of one parable: scattering seed on every quality of soil, hoping something takes root. Some parables are user-friendly: a mustard seed of faith can yield a mighty tree of results! Others are troubling: Can there really be a good Samaritan, and how can we continue to despise those people if that’s true? Some parables build on each other, the way three tales about money and value did last week. This week’s lesson is among the most challenging Jesus tries to teach. The problem with the story of the cheating steward is that Jesus makes the bad guy into the hero—sort of. Actually, Jesus does this a lot, only most of the time we don’t mind. In the Good Samaritan tale, we have no beef with Samaritans today, so who cares? The Prodigal Son who winds up feeding pigs is a horror to first-century Jewish fathers. But in our more indulgent age, our children can do almost anything and be welcomed home. Here’s where the cheating steward becomes abominable even to us: He’s an embezzler! He’s cooking the books! Twenty-first-century Americans can’t stomach a crook any better than first-century Judeans could. It’s tough when Jesus holds up this man’s single-heartedness as an admirable model for us all. It’s an ambitious lesson plan, and one that still leaves many students scratching their heads. Related scripture links Render to Caesar: Luke 12:13-15 Other money passages in Luke: Luke 6:20; 12:13-34; 14:33; 16:14, 19-31; 21:1-4 Catechism links Money: CCC 952; 2269; 2401-2414; 2419-2425; 2443-2449 Pray for the powerful: CCC 1349; 1900-1904; 2240; 2636; 2822

Authors Alice Camille

teachers Teaching catechists Catechism cheating steward

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In other words

18 Sep 2016 - Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

Jesus said to his disciples, “There was once a rich man who had a manager. He got reports that the manager had been taking advantage of his position by running up huge personal expenses. So he called him in and said, ‘What’s this I hear about you? You’re fired. And I want a complete audit of your books.’ “The manager said to himself, ‘What am I going to do? I’ve lost my job as manager. I’m not strong enough for a laboring job, and I’m too proud to beg…. Ah, I’ve got a plan. Here’s what I’ll do…then when I’m turned out into the street, people will take me into their houses.’ “Then he went at it. One after another, he called in the people who were in debt to his master. He said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ “He replied, ‘A hundred jugs of olive oil.’ “The manager said, ‘Here, take your bill, sit down here—quick now—write fifty.’ “To the next he said, ‘And you, what do you owe?’ “He answered, ‘A hundred sacks of wheat.’ “He said, ‘Take your bill, write in eighty.’ “Now here’s a surprise: The master praised the crooked manager! And why? Because he knew how to look after himself. Streetwise people are smarter inthis regard than law-abiding citizens. They are on constant alert, looking for angles, surviving by their wits. I want you to be smart in the same way—but for what is right—using every adversity to stimulate you to creative survival, to concentrate your attention on the bare essentials, so you’ll live, really live, and not complacently just get by on good behavior.” Jesus went on to make these comments: If you’re honest in small things, you’ll be honest in big things; If you’re a crook in small things, you’ll be a crook in big things. If you’re not honest in small jobs, who will put you in charge of the store? No worker can serve two bosses: He’ll either hate the first and love the second Or adore the first and despise the second. You can’t serve both God and the Bank (from Luke 16). From A New Message 4 Next Week (actapublications.com) based on The Message: Catholic/Ecumenical Edition by Eugene Peterson (ACTA Publications, 2013).

cheating steward Honesty

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Exploring the word

22 Sep 2019 - Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

When you think about it, there is no commandment specifically against cheating. We’re not supposed to lie, steal, covet, or commit adultery; that much is spelled out. But cheating is not only not expressly forbidden, it is also more or less a biblical tradition. Recall Abraham and his classic line: “She’s my sister.” (This is not quite a lie, because they came from the same tribe and were kin in the old-world sense. But it’s definitely cheating.) It was deemed such a good ploy that his son Isaac borrows it later on in the story. Think of Jacob, thwarting his brother of his birthright. (What part of right didn’t he understand?) Consider Laban, giving his nephew the same treatment on the ill-fated marriage night. Or Rachel, returning the cheat by taking her father’s idols and sitting on them in her alleged uncleanness so that she could not be searched. How about Joseph, putting his silver cup in poor, unsuspecting Benjamin’s bag and then arresting his brothers for stealing it? In the time of the patriarchs, cheating was practically the preferred way of doing business. And it doesn’t end there. Tamar gets the husband and son due her by law, not honestly but by tricking her father-in-law to lie with her. Ruth similarly helps herself to her relative Boaz’s blankets in order to achieve what the law intends. Judith plays the grand defector and coquette when she really comes to assassinate Holofernes. No wonder Jesus would later say, “Imagine, an Israelite in whom there is no guile.” The children of Israel had earned a reputation for being tricksters par excellence. Not all cheating is created equal But there were some forms of cheating that were clearly beyond the pale. Abraham and Sarah tried to do a workaround with God’s promise by using a concubine as a more viable way to gain heirs. God rejected this plan, but none of the participants are punished for their involvement. Onan, of course, took the opposite approach in trying to avoid raising up heirs for his brother. God rejects his plan, too, but does not spare the perpetrator. Saul cheats by consulting the witch of Endor, and this is just one of the many actions that contribute to his downfall. Kings cheat by honoring other gods on the side, and this is never tolerated. Priests cheat by eating the food offerings that are not part of their portion, and often this behavior leads to their demise. By the time of the prophet Amos, merchants have entered into the act, cheating for profit as a matter of course by setting their scales falsely. The habit of deceit has gotten way out of control, no longer in the service of life but as a mechanism for raw greed. If the biblical record is any indication, it’s obvious that God isn’t against cheating per se. As any child knows, it’s entirely ethical to pretend there’s no Jew in the closet during the Holocaust. God allows for pretense when the greater good is served. But when the motivation is mere selfishness, woe to those who play these dangerous games. A difficult parable The folks in the pews have a hard time taking Jesus seriously when he holds up the trickster steward as a role model. What exactly is there to admire about the guy? He has squandered his master’s property in times past, and now he performs his coup de grace by rewriting the last of the receipts and “making friends with dishonest wealth” one more time. Oddly, even his master who has been cheated commends the servant for his prudence. This could be the key to interpreting this strange story. The rich man is a “child of this world,” as Jesus terms him, and holds worldly values above spiritual ones. If his steward had slithered humbly away, the master would have reviled him all the more. But instead the steward shows gumption, tactical smarts, and the spirit of self-preservation. A worldly master would appreciate those values and be half-tempted to give the guy his old job back, with a raise. But what of the “children of light,” pledged to practice another set of values? They are far less consistent than the steward, Jesus says, trying to serve two masters when the material and spiritual goals are at odds with one another. This is the kind of cheating that marks us for death in biblical terms: pretending to be the servants of God while being besotted with money all the while. The answer, according to Jesus, is not to throw your money out the window but to put it at the service of spiritual goals. That way, you are cheating the devil, taking the worldly master and submitting him to the heavenly One. Applying the word Learning to cheat honestly The pastoral advice that Timothy receives this week is technically unrelated to the other readings: He is urged to pray for kings and all in positions of authority. But we might forge a link here: Who is more tempted to cheat than those with the greatest opportunity? “Absolute power corrupts absolutely,” as the Catholic Lord Acton famously said. He wrote this in the 19th century (and was referring to the doctrine of papal infallibility when he wrote it). Acton spoke wisely about the temptations of power, and Timothy was well advised to pray for those who have it. So are the children of light behaving most responsibly when they—which is to say, we—support our leaders, both civil and religious, in prayer. We must pray, but we must also lead by our example and our will stridently expressed. We are the richest country in the world, and we can either put our resources at the service of God or our own self-interest. If our money stays in our own pockets, then we’re as good as cheating our sisters and brothers in need. And that’s the sort of cheating to which God takes great exception. Related scripture links Great cheaters of the Bible: Abraham (Gen. 12:10-20, 20:1-18); Abraham and Sarah (Gen. 16:1-15); Isaac (Gen. 26:6-11); Jacob (Gen. 27:1-45); Laban (Gen. 29:15-30); Rachel (Gen. 31:19-35); Onan (Gen. 38:8-10); Tamar (Gen. 38:11-30); Joseph (Gen. 44:1-34); Ruth (Ruth 3:1-9); Saul (1 Sam. 28:4-25); Judith (Jth. 10-13) An Israelite without guile: John 1:47

Authors Alice Camille

cheating Parable of the Unjust Steward

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Homily stories

22 Sep 2019 - Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

I used to play volleyball at a park with my brother and a bunch of guys from his parish. We had a great time with lots of spirited play and great volleys. We thought we were getting pretty good, too. One day a group of newcomers joined us and things changed. One of the newcomers served the ball, one of our guys hit the ball back over the net, then the server just grabbed the ball, added a point to their score, and served again. We were flummoxed. What was he up to? Quite disdainfully he began to explain in great detail that the way we played did not comply with the International Rules of Volleyball. He called our good hits carries, our amazing slams palming the ball, our two-hand shots double hits. Worst of all, he called us all cheaters. Up until that moment we were willing to learn a few things, but to call us cheaters was tantamount to fighting words. We played by different rules, that’s all. Rules that we all grew up with and were comfortable with. And we got pretty savvy playing by those rules. The unjust steward in the gospel played by different rules than we’re used to. We’d call the guy a cheat. Fortunately for him (though too bad for their customers), his boss played by the same rules. But according to those morally iffy rules, he was pretty savvy at playing his game. Jesus wishes we were just that crafty at living out our faith.

Authors Tom McGrath

cheating Parable of the Unjust Steward

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