High stakes opponent in Georgia asking for help

[James Hope <Wildyears3@AOL.COM>]

 My name is James Hope, and I am a 4th grade teacher in Gwinnett County,
outside of Atlanta Georgia. My e-mail is: wildyears3@aol.com.  Some of you
may have read a letter from me posted a few weeks ago regarding the
harassment I have received for posting a half dozen, invalid high stakes
tests questions on an internet sight. I was trying to make the point that the
test was so poorly written, that the passing scores had to be lowered to the
20%-30% range.
I posted the questions almost two years ago, after the test had been
administered, yet I am still feeling the heat. School police told parents in
August 2000, that my wife and I are going to jail. (My wife typed the
questions.)  The superintendent asked me If I usually got my wife to commit
my crimes for me. I managed not to get arrested or fired, but I am now
appealing a decision to have my license revoked. (I continue to teach during
the appeals process.)
Last week, I called the county district attorney and found out that the
school system still has an open criminal investigation on me, based solely
for posting the six questions. The version of the test I posted from will
never be used again.
In the fall of 2000, I became aware that the school police confiscated my
phone records and called friends in to be interrogated. Ironically, the
school system is on the record saying they don't do criminal investigations.
I would appreciate if folks would e-mail some writers from The Atlanta
Constitution and ask them to take a closer look at this story. Editorial
writer Cynthia Tucker - cynthia@ajc.com and reporters James Salzer -
jsalzer@ajc.com and Andrea Jones -  ajones@ajc.com. If these reporters
realize that I have some national backing, then maybe they will be willing to
take a closer look.
I have been fighting high stakes testing in my community in a number of ways,
which has probably contributed to the harassment I have received. I am taking
a risk by writing this letter, since my e-mail is, no doubt, being monitored.
I have seen first hand the negative effects that high stakes testing has on
children and how it is damaging our profession. I will never stop fighting
this scourge. I will talk to anybody, anywhere, on the record.

Thanks for helping,

James Hope