Former Atlanta superintendent charged in school cheating case dies

By David Beasley ATLANTA (Reuters) - Former Atlanta schools Superintendent Beverly Hall, who was deemed too ill from breast cancer to stand trial with a dozen former educators accused in a standardized test cheating scandal, has died, her attorney said on Monday. She was 68. Hall had wanted to stand trial, directing her doctors to get her well enough for court, said her attorney, Richard Deane. "To her dying breath she denied any role in directing, ordering, or participating in any cheating at Atlanta Public Schools," he said in a statement. The Atlanta case is being watched nationally amid a string of cheating incidents across the United States in recent years. Hall previously accepted responsibility for the fact that some educators had cheated under her leadership, her attorney noted, but maintained that she had played no role in orchestrating it. Hall was named national superintendent of the year by the American Association of School Administrators in 2009 - the same year prosecutors contend widespread cheating took place. The former teachers, principals and administrators on trial are accused of conspiring to alter standardized test scores to boost their own bonuses. Closing arguments in the trial are set to begin March 16, but Hall's case had been delayed indefinitely due to her illness. (Reporting by David Beasley; Writing by Colleen Jenkins; Editing by Bill Trott, Letitia Stein and Lisa Lambert)