Linda Schrenko
Encyclopedia
Linda Schrenko is a former superintendent
of schools in the U.S.
state of Georgia
who was convicted on an embezzlement
scheme and sentenced to 8 years in prison
.
. She received a bachelor's degree
in education
from Augusta College
in 1972, after which she worked as a teacher and in other educational jobs until her election as superintendent.
, defeated the Democratic
incumbent to be elected as superintendent of schools, becoming the first woman elected to statewide office in Georgia, and was re-elected in 1998. She generated controversy by advocating the teaching of creationism
in schools and was often in conflict with Governor Roy Barnes
. She also started harsh teacher criticisms with creating the Georgia Criterion Referenced Competency Test.
. Schrenko and Byrne were defeated by Perdue, who avoided a runoff by claiming a majority of the primary votes.
.
She pled guilty to fraud and money laundering
, and was sentenced to 8 years in prison on July 12, 2006. She was also fined $414,000 in restitution
, and will be required to serve 3 years probation
and 100 hours of community service
upon being released.
Superintendent (education)
In education in the United States, a superintendent is an individual who has executive oversight and administration rights, usually within an educational entity or organization....
of schools in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
state of Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
who was convicted on an embezzlement
Embezzlement
Embezzlement is the act of dishonestly appropriating or secreting assets by one or more individuals to whom such assets have been entrusted....
scheme and sentenced to 8 years in prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
.
Biography
Schrenko was born on July 24, 1949, in Millen, GeorgiaMillen, Georgia
Millen is a city in Jenkins County, Georgia, United States. The population was 3,492 at the 2000 census, a decline of 8.3% since 1990, during a decade in which the state's population grew by 26.4%.The city, centered near the intersection of U.S...
. She received a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
from Augusta College
Augusta State University
Augusta State University is a public university located in Augusta, Georgia, United States and is the oldest institution in the state of Georgia ....
in 1972, after which she worked as a teacher and in other educational jobs until her election as superintendent.
As superintendent
In 1994, Schrenko, a RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
, defeated the Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
incumbent to be elected as superintendent of schools, becoming the first woman elected to statewide office in Georgia, and was re-elected in 1998. She generated controversy by advocating the teaching of creationism
Creationism
Creationism is the religious beliefthat humanity, life, the Earth, and the universe are the creation of a supernatural being, most often referring to the Abrahamic god. As science developed from the 18th century onwards, various views developed which aimed to reconcile science with the Genesis...
in schools and was often in conflict with Governor Roy Barnes
Roy Barnes
Roy Eugene Barnes served as the 80th Governor of Georgia from January 1999 until January 2003. Barnes was also a candidate for Governor of Georgia in the 2010 election....
. She also started harsh teacher criticisms with creating the Georgia Criterion Referenced Competency Test.
Campaign for governor
In 2002, Schrenko sought the Republican nomination for governor of Georgia against Bill Byrne and current governor Sonny PerdueSonny Perdue
George Ervin "Sonny" Perdue III, was the 81st Governor of Georgia. Upon his inauguration in January 2003, he became the first Republican governor of Georgia since Benjamin F. Conley served during Reconstruction in the 1870s....
. Schrenko and Byrne were defeated by Perdue, who avoided a runoff by claiming a majority of the primary votes.
Legal problems
On November 10, 2004, Schrenko was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges stemming from her embezzlement of more than $600,000 in federal education funds. The indictment alleged that a substantial portion of the funds in question had been used to fund Schrenko's campaign for governor and facial plastic surgeryPlastic surgery
Plastic surgery is a medical specialty concerned with the correction or restoration of form and function. Though cosmetic or aesthetic surgery is the best-known kind of plastic surgery, most plastic surgery is not cosmetic: plastic surgery includes many types of reconstructive surgery, hand...
.
She pled guilty to fraud and money laundering
Money laundering
Money laundering is the process of disguising illegal sources of money so that it looks like it came from legal sources. The methods by which money may be laundered are varied and can range in sophistication. Many regulatory and governmental authorities quote estimates each year for the amount...
, and was sentenced to 8 years in prison on July 12, 2006. She was also fined $414,000 in restitution
Restitution
The law of restitution is the law of gains-based recovery. It is to be contrasted with the law of compensation, which is the law of loss-based recovery. Obligations to make restitution and obligations to pay compensation are each a type of legal response to events in the real world. When a court...
, and will be required to serve 3 years probation
Probation
Probation literally means testing of behaviour or abilities. In a legal sense, an offender on probation is ordered to follow certain conditions set forth by the court, often under the supervision of a probation officer...
and 100 hours of community service
Community service
Community service is donated service or activity that is performed by someone or a group of people for the benefit of the public or its institutions....
upon being released.