Principal accused of changing grades of 31 students including his own kids in Michigan
A Michigan high school principal has resigned after being accused of bumping up the grades of 31 students, local media outlets reported.
An investigation by Spring Lake Public Schools revealed that Mike Gilchrist, who had been the principal of Spring Lake High School since 2001, changed 51 records for the students, including seven who are currently enrolled.
Most of these changes were done without authorization, and were not within the confines of the principal’s job description. To change grades at the school, teachers must go through the registrar.
Gilchrist is accused of violating the terms of his contract and other local and state policies and codes, including “overriding teacher grades” and “falsifying student records,” the report states.
Among the students he is accused of changing grades for include his own children
The school district’s investigation began in January and Gilchrist was placed on administrative leave on Jan. 24. He submitted his resignation on Jan. 26, which was accepted by the school board on Feb. 10, according to the report.
According to the report, Gilchrist’s wife had heard a rumor that he’d changed one of his children’s grades. He denied this in a conversation with the school’s registrar, saying “I have never changed a grade in my life.”
After a primary meeting was held at the start of the investigation, Gilchrist again said he had not changedthe grades, and told conflicting stories when answering questions, including that he did not know how to change grades for students, the report states.
The next day, Gilchrist called a second meeting and admitted to lying in the previous interview.
“In regards to our meeting yesterday, I was caught off guard and was not completely truthful,” he said in the meeting. “Every question you asked me yesterday, the answer is ‘yes.’ I did those things. All of them.”
He continued and said he would tell his staff what he had done, and would resign first if he was to be fired. Gilchrist told investigators he alone had fraudulently changed the grades.
“I did it,” he said. “I own it.”
Most of the changes to grades listed were made without the teacher’s knowledge, and ranged from weeks after the end of the grading period to 25 months after the grades were finalized. In some cases, he changed the grades when a student or parent requested.
Superintendent Dennis Furton said those changes made for the seven current students would be reviewed.
Gilchrist said in many of these cases he was looking out for the students.
“Many of the families I worked with had very delicate situations that involved abuse, mental health and other traumatic situations they did not feel comfortable sharing with anyone else,” he said. “I thought what I was doing was in the best interest of children and providing families trust, comfort and a relationship during some of life’s lowest points.”
However, investigators say most cases of grade changes involved students who were not experiencing hardship.
“Students who were by all accounts not in distress or experiencing any particular difficulty seemed to get a hand when a hand was not needed,” the board meeting minutes discussing the incident said, the Holland Sentinel reported.
According to Furton, the school has since revised its policy regarding grade changes.
Spring Lake is about 31 miles northwest of Grand Rapids.
This story was originally published February 17, 2022 at 1:47 PM with the headline "Principal accused of changing grades of 31 students including his own kids in Michigan."
