Grading and financial practices of private school are called into question
Posted Jun 30, 2012 9:11 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
An investigation by the Calgary Herald is raising questions about the grading practices of the Calgary School of Excellence as well as financial dealings involving the founder and chief administrator of the school, Jean Fevry.
The Herald reports Fevry signed documents on behalf of the school for a $93,000 BMX X5 which are disclosed in financial documents submitted to Alberta Education. But a forensic accountant hired by the newspaper finds unanswered questions concerning a two-storey, 2800 square foot, Tudor-style home that Fevry bought, later sold to the school for a dollar, and then refinanced as school property. It’s at that point that the forensic accountant loses track of approximately $636,000 in new cash following the re-mortgaging of the home.
The questionable financial dealings came at a time when teachers were resigning from the school because of poor salaries and classes were conducted in a rented church basement.
The Herald reports that neither Fevry nor the school’s treasurer were willing to answer questions about the story and directed inquiries to the school’s law firm.
Administratively, at least two former teachers allege marks they submitted were changed before being passed on to Alberta Education.
Melissa Neufeld tells the Herald that all eight students in one of her math classes got a passing mark despite the fact that her records show five of the students failing. She claims it happened in her Mathematics 30 course last spring.
Former teacher Matthew Aubin believes the marks of some of his students in a social studies class were altered four years ago as well. He says the average of his top eight students that year was 70 per cent, but the number submitted to the province for a class that same size was 76.5 per cent.
Aubin adds he left the school after one year because he felt his work was undermined when he was forced to give alternative assignments to students who hadn’t completed required work.
