Teachers in D-FW are being investigated for certification fraud

By Talia Richman
Dallas Morning News
Reprinted – by Texas Metro News

Investigators announced a $1 million cheating ring run out of the Houston area.

Update:

12 p.m., Dec. 5, 2024: Updated to add a statement from Richardson ISD.

Dallas-area educators are among more than 100 Texas teachers under investigation for potentially securing their certifications through fraudulent means.

The Texas Education Agency recently opened probes into dozens of local teachers, weeks after Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced a criminal cheating scheme run out of Houston.

Five educators face charges for engaging in organized criminal activity after collectively profiting by more than $1 million through the cheating ring, Ogg announced in late October.

“The damage is not just to the education system, which is under great duress right now, but it’s actually to the families of the children who go to those schools who trust our government to educate their kids and to keep them safe,” Ogg said at the time.

Investigators said teacher candidates drove from across the state to the Houston area, where a proxy would take their certification exam. Many paid $2,500 to secure these passing scores.

While the state allows uncertified educators to work in classrooms, teachers can make more money or secure certain positions only if they have a certification. Many of those involved in the scheme were certified to teach special education, officials said.

Among the teachers now under investigation by the Texas Education Agency for certification fraud are nine people who worked in Dallas Independent School District in recent years. Eight recent Duncanville ISD employees were also on the Texas Education Agency’s list of educators under investigation, which was provided to The Dallas Morning News on Wednesday.

Educators may no longer be working for the district they’re associated with on the list.

“On Dec. 1, the Texas Education Agency notified Dallas ISD of individuals implicated in a statewide cheating scandal who are current employees of the district,” spokeswoman Robyn Harris said in a statement. “A total of six employees were confirmed. The district is fully cooperating with TEA during their investigative process.”

Duncanville school officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Richardson ISD leaders this week placed two teachers on administrative leave, pending the results of the investigation, spokesman Tim Clark said.

State officials also identified five teachers who were employed in Fort Worth ISD. The district “takes this matter seriously, is cooperating fully with TEA, and will continue to do so to address this issue thoroughly,” spokesman Cesar Padilla wrote in an emailed statement.

Texas Education Agency spokesman Jake Kobersky said officials expect more names will be added to the list of pending investigations. Ogg’s office previously said at least 200 Texas educators fraudulently earned teaching certifications through the cheating scheme.

The State Board for Educator Certification will determine possible sanctions for the teachers involved.

Texas struggles to find enough certified teachers, especially in high-need areas such as special education.

The list of educators was first reported by theHouston Landing and Houston Chronicle. Fifteen of the teachers under investigation worked in Houston ISD.

Among those facing criminal charges is the alleged “kingpin” behind the cheating ring, a basketball coach at Booker T. Washington High School in Houston.

The DMN Education Lab deepens the coverage and conversation about urgent education issues critical to the future of North Texas.

The DMN Education Lab is a community-funded journalism initiative, with support from Bobby and Lottye Lyle, Communities Foundation of Texas, The Dallas Foundation, Dallas Regional Chamber, Deedie Rose, Garrett and Cecilia Boone, The Meadows Foundation, The Murrell Foundation, Solutions Journalism Network, Southern Methodist University, Sydney Smith Hicks and the University of Texas at Dallas. The Dallas Morning News retains full editorial control of the Education Lab’s journalism.

This story, originally published in The Dallas Morning News, is reprinted as part of a collaborative partnership between The Dallas Morning News and Texas Metro News. The partnership seeks to boost coverage of Dallas’ communities of color, particularly in southern Dallas.