HOUSTON – On Monday, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced criminal charges against five people accused of participating in a teacher-certification cheating scheme that allowed unqualified teachers to work in local school districts.
The alleged scheme, reportedly worth over a million dollars, involved falsifying credentials to secure teaching positions for individuals who did not meet certification requirements, according to the DA’s office.
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Court documents show an estimated 430 tests were taken fraudulently and more than 210 unqualified teachers were certified in this scheme, who are now practicing or practiced at Texas public schools and in districts across the state.
The scandal is believed to have impacted multiple school districts in the area, leading to heightened concerns about educational standards and public safety.
So what certifications are necessary for aspiring teachers in the State of Texas?
The answer boils down to what subject the teacher wants to teach.
What is necessary?
First things first, to become a classroom teacher in Texas, you must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
Aspiring teachers must complete an Approved Educator Preparation Program. If you do not hold a degree you must complete a university program. If you hold a degree you may contact an Alternative Certification Program or Post Baccalaureate program .
Aspiring teachers pass the appropriate teacher certification exams for the subject(s) you are wanting to teach. The certification tests varies depending on the subject, but one test that must be passed by all aspiring teachers regardless of their subject is the Texas Examinations of Educator Standards (TExES) Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities (PPR) EC-12 exam.
This exam tests the aspiring teacher’s knowledge and skills to be an entry-level teacher in Texas public schools. All teachers, regardless of what grade or subject they plan to teach are required to pass this exam.
After all certifications are passed, aspiring teachers must also submit a state application to be certified after all requirements are passed.
As part of a national criminal background check, all first-time applicants must be fingerprinted as part of the process.
What is on the TExES PPR EC-12 Exam?
As one of the required exams all aspiring teachers must pass in Texas, the TExES PPR EC-12 Exam is considered extremely important.
According to Texastest.org, the TeXES PPR Exam tests the candidate’s knowledge of educational theory and the best practices utilized to teach early childhood students and grade 1-12 students.
More specifically, the candidate will be tested on their knowledge to create lessons and assessments of student learning and of the best practices in creating a positive classroom environment. The test itself is subdivided into four sections, called domains, covering instruction and student learning, classroom environment, assessments and roles and responsibilities as a teacher.
You can learn more about teacher certification in Texas and what is needed here and here.