Five Houston-area educators have been charged for their alleged involvement in a teacher certification cheating ring.
At least 200 teachers from across the state have been falsely certified, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said during a press conference Monday afternoon. She said the false certifications can be traced back to May 2020 shortly after the pandemic started.
“A former coach applying as a police officer in a different part of Texas had an attack of conscience and came forward with a scheme that was apparently well-known among teacher applicants wanting to be certified,” Ogg said.
Those involved accumulated at least $1 million in profits by charging test-takers for an impersonator to take their exam, Ogg said. She added one falsely certified teacher has also been charged with indecency with a child, and another with online solicitation.
Harris County Assistant District Attorney Mike Levine said the main testing location where the scheme took place was shut down last year because of “suspicious activity.”
“Numerous teacher certification candidates seem to fit the same criteria where they would drive from far-flung cities, sometimes from Dallas-Fort Worth or farther. Often, these people had previously failed one or more attempts at the certification exam. They then drove, sometimes four or more hours, to the Houston area and suddenly they were passing the test with flying colors,” he said.
Two of the people charged were proctors from the Houston Training and Education Center and TACTIX. Two of them were HISD assistant principals, and one was an HISD teacher and basketball coach.
The district said they were notified of the charges shortly before they were arrested today and the three employees have been relieved of their positions.
“Any educator who engages in conduct of this nature abdicates their responsibility to our students and to our staff and represents a complete betrayal of the public trust,” said HISD Chief of Public Affairs and Communications Alexandra Elizondo in a statement. “HISD will cooperate fully with the Texas Education Agency and state and local law enforcement as the investigation progresses. All three of these employees have been arrested and will be receiving notifications relieving them of their duties effective immediately.
“Additionally, if it is determined that any teachers currently working in HISD participated in this scheme or passed their certification exams fraudulently, we will take swift action to terminate their employment with the District.”
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