HOUSTON – A growing teacher certification scandal is shaking the Texas education system, with the Texas Education Agency (TEA) revealing at least 100 educators across the state may have cheated to pass their certification exams.
Investigators say nearly 40 of those educators worked in Houston-area school districts.
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The scheme allegedly operated out of Harris County and was led by three former Houston ISD employees. Vincent Grayson, a basketball coach, reportedly made more than $1 million by charging educators $2,500 each to guarantee they passed their certification exams. Grayson allegedly collaborated with assistant principals LaShonda Roberts and Nicholas Newton, who are accused of recruiting educators and facilitating the cheating.
According to court documents, Newton was allegedly taking the test in place of the real people.
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Prosecutors said the scheme relied on test centers in Houston, where proctors Darian Wilhite and Tywana Mason allegedly accepted payments and turned a blind eye to the fraud.
Houston-Area Educators Involved
Of the 100 educators identified so far, 38 are from Houston-area districts:
• 15 from Houston ISD
• 5 from Alvin ISD
• 4 from Cy-Fair ISD
• 4 from Fort Bend ISD
• Others from surrounding districts
The remaining educators worked in districts in North and Southeast Texas. The TEA noted that the data is based on employment records from the last two school years, so some educators may no longer work in these districts.
Charges and Investigation
Grayson, Roberts, and Newton, along with Wilhite and Mason, have all been charged with felonies. They are currently out on bond and awaiting trial. The Houston ISD employees have been relieved of their duties.
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The TEA has warned that this list of educators is expected to grow as the investigation continues.
Impact on Education
This scandal raises serious concerns about integrity in education and the oversight of teacher certification in Texas. The TEA and school districts are now grappling with how to address the issue while ensuring students receive the quality education they deserve.
Parents and educators are left wondering what steps will be taken to prevent this from happening again and how this might affect classrooms statewide.
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On KPRC 2+ Now at 7 a.m., anchors Haley Hernandez and Amy Davis spoke to Jackie Anderson who serves as the President of the Houston Federation of Teachers.
“Our union has always condemned any type of unacceptable behavior, whether it’s cheating on certification exams or student exams. We strive for honesty, integrity, and professionalism in our field,” she said. “And of course, we’re disappointed with the unwarranted attention that this places on our teachers who are still in the classroom, who have done what was done properly, who did their study, who completed their exams in the proper way. We are disappointed at the burden it’s going to bring on them.”
Anderson also said the teachers who have nothing to do with the scandal are showing up to work and teaching students.
“I do want to applaud those hundreds of teachers, hundreds of thousands of teachers who have done the work, who stayed in the programs, whether they were in programs in college or alternative certification, who did what they needed to do, did their work, passed the test, and are standing before our students. I want to applaud them and make sure, I was a teacher for 33 years, so I know what they are going through, and so I applaud them, and we want to make sure that our teachers who are in front of our students are prepared and ready to do the best job possible for our students,” Anderson said.
In a statement, HISD also condemned the teachers involved in the scandal, in part calling it “a shame.”
“HISD has a rigorous approach to recruiting, hiring, training, and supporting educators so that all our students get the education they deserve. It is a shame that a small handful of individuals, out of HISD’s more than ten thousand dedicated teachers, allegedly tried to cheat the system and Houston’s students. All of the individuals have been relieved of their duties and reassigned pending the outcome of the state’s investigation.”