Empower students to expose bad teachers, principles

After only three weeks in the job, school principal Amy Robertson had to resign from Pittsburgh High School after the student newspaper, Booster Redux, cast doubt on her credentials and suitability.
Booster Redux found out that a private school in Dubai, where Robertson had been principal, had its licence suspended in 2013 by the United Arab Emirates government, after years of “unsatisfactory” ratings.
The student journalists also found that the university where Robertson received her master’s and doctorate degrees had no physical address, is not accredited by the US Education Department and is alleged to be a diploma mill.
When Robertson, who was hired by the Pittsburgh Board of Education could not present satisfactory answers during a conference call with the students, she resigned.
If the Thai government encouraged students here to emulate their American peers, it would help get rid of unqualified and substandard teachers and school principals in our own country.
Vint Chavala