HOUSTON – KPRC 2 has obtained the Texas Education Agency’s list that contains the names of Houston-area teachers who are currently under investigation in a teacher-certification cheating scheme that allowed unqualified teachers to work in local school districts.
[[ Jump to the bottom for full list of teachers ]]
We first broke the news in October after Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced the indictment of five people accused of participating in the cheating scheme.
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 District Attorney’s office.
The DA’s Office estimated that the ring’s kingpin had grossed more than $1 million from the scheme.
Court documents show an estimated 430 tests were taken fraudulently and more than 210 unqualified teachers were certified in this scheme, who are now instructing or previously taught at Texas public schools.
The scandal is believed to have impacted multiple school districts in the area, leading to heightened concerns about educational standards and public safety.
On the list, at least 38 teachers from eleven Houston area school districts have been named.
According to TEA, the districts associated with these educators do not mean that it’s their current place of employment but is based on their place of employment at the end of either the 2022-2023 or 2023-2024 school year.
TEA told KPRC 2’s Bryce Newberry that the listed school districts have been notified about the educators under investigation, but the agency hasn’t received the latest employment information on each individual educator and some individuals no longer work at their last-known districts.
TEA says it fully expects additional investigations to be opened as the agency receives more information.
The following suspects charged in the scheme have been identified:
- Vincent Grayson, 57, the head boys basketball coach at Booker T. Washington High School in Houston ISD for nearly 20 years. Grayson was charged as the organizer of the cheating scheme.
- Tywana Gilford Mason, 51, the former director/VA certifying official at the Houston Training and Education Center. Mason’s role as test proctor allowed her to keep the proxy scheme undetected.
- Nicholas Newton, 35, an assistant principal at Booker T. Washington High School in Houston ISD. Newton is alleged to have participated in the scheme as the proxy test-taker.
- Darian Nikole Wilhite, 22, a proctor at TACTIX who is alleged to have taken bribes to allow Newton to act as a testing proxy.
- LaShonda Roberts, 39, an assistant principal at Yates High School in Houston ISD. Roberts is charged with recruiting nearly 100 teachers to participate in the cheating scheme.
List of the following teachers under investigation:
Houston-area districts
Alvin ISD (5)
- Collins, Jefferson
- Edwards, Nehandra
- Garrett, Michael
- Manning, Brandon
- White, Daphney
Conroe ISD (1)
- Selvage, Perry
Cypress-Fairbanks ISD (4)
- Green, Arthur
- Hampton, Rodney
- Valenzuela, Yamille
- Whiting, Cathy
Fort Bend ISD (4)
- Brown, April
- Cook, Vivian
- Durley, Aaron
- Thomas, Tavares
Galena Park ISD (1)
- Mack, Johnnie
Harris County Dept of Education (1)
- Gray, Xavier
Houston ISD (15)
- Galloway, Fred
- Grant, Ernest
- Harris, Alexcia
- Henderson, Gerrod
- Hill, Jerome
- Johnson, Tiffany
- Kendricks, Danyelle
- Lockett, Arthur
- Peterson, Charles
- Politte, Mark
- Roberts, LaShonda (10/29/24 entry) - Indicted
- Session, Latisha
- Westbrooks, Earl
- Grayson, Vincent (10/29/24 entry) - Alleged ring leader indicted
- Newton, Nicholas (10/29/24 entry) - Indicted
Katy ISD (2)
- Agyei, Kwabena
- McAfee, Calandra
Pearland ISD (1)
- Oglesby, Toye
Spring ISD (3)
- Dawson, Allison
- Finney, Sterling
- Glass-Hammond, Autumn
Non Houston-area districts
The remaining districts are located outside of the Houston area, grouped as follows:
Arlington ISD (2)
- Bragg, Shayla
- Versey, Jordan
Beaumont ISD (2)
- Nolan, Tristan
- Wright, Tanisha
Crowley ISD (2)
- Green, Dnarius
- Haliburton, Janesha
Dallas ISD (10)
- Din, Jeremiah
- Goss, Jason
- Heath, Janea
- Mauldin, Antonio
- Primas, Nyzhe
- Rogers, Jordan
- Spillman, Tahj
- Thornton, Cairo
- Washington, Thomas
- Newton, Nicholas (also listed under Houston-area, HCDE)
Duncanville ISD (8)
- Hill, Charles Preston
- Jones, Taneadra
- Key, Simone
- Luster, Jeffrey
- Mayes, Keisha
- Moore, LaToya
- Samuels, Gabriel
- Tribble Jr, Alford
Fort Worth ISD (4)
- Bowman-Smith, Destiny
- Hogan, Hanna
- Regan-Waterford, Sheba
- Vaughn, Reuben
Irving ISD (2)
- Cooks, Markel
- Ford, Karrington
Mesquite ISD (2)
- Baxter, Marion
- Virgil, Chason
Port Arthur ISD (5)
- Callihan, Armani
- Decuir, Tieranny
- Green-Allison, Charlotte
- Johnson, Quintin
- Nelson, Edwin
