HOUSTON – Dozens of questions remain unanswered over a Houston-based cheating scandal involving hundreds of unqualified teachers getting certified; one of the main ones KPRC 2′s Rilwan Balogun looked into was what policies were put in place that were ignored and allowed these “educators” to slip through the cracks.
BACKGROUND: 200 unqualified teachers certified in $1M Houston-based cheating scheme
The scheme, reportedly worth over a million dollars, involved securing teaching positions for individuals who did not meet certification requirements and falsifying their credentials, according to the Harris County DA’s office.
Records showed about 430 fake tests were taken 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.
Vincent Grayson, 57, the head boys basketball coach at Booker T. Washington High School in Houston ISD was charged as the “kingpin” in the cheating scheme. He was arrested, along with several others including Nicholas Newton, 35, an assistant principal at the school where Grayson worked.
It’s alleged the test taker would give money to Grayson, but Newton would participate in the scheme as a proxy test taker.
EXPLAINER: What certifications do aspiring teachers in Texas need to get? | Step-by-step process: How alleged $1M Houston-based teacher cheating scheme worked
Court documents show Pearson Vue, was the vendor used to take the certified exams. In navigating their website, there appear to be several authentication steps, that would suggest it’d be difficult for someone to try and cheat.
Their website touts testing rooms that are “enclosed” and provide a “professional environment...conducive to testing.” They also have lockers to store items and identification required as the first step before sitting in for an exam.
When Rilwan and I tried going on Pearson’s website, it was also clear not just anyone could take even a sample test, as it required an ID number for aspiring teachers as well as a $10 fee.
Right before you take the exam though, there are several rules and policies testers are asked to agree to. Failure to even agree to the terms “within four minutes and thirty seconds” is an automatic disqualification.
Rilwan reached out to the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to ask whether the measures Pearson Vue claims used are the standards for TEA teacher certification. The state agency has not yet responded.
Pearson Vue, meanwhile, shared the following statement when asked to comment:
“In Texas, Pearson develops the teacher licensure exam for our customer, the Texas Education Agency. Maintaining valid, reliable assessments and public trust is paramount to us. We are committed to integrity in professional certification and licensure testing and actively monitor, investigate, and report suspicious activity or anomalies to our customers. When issues arise, we take decisive action, cooperating fully with customers and law enforcement as required.”
Below is a PDF view of those policies candidates are asked to adhere to:
