Nearly 50 Houston-area teachers named by TEA for allegedly obtaining fraudulent certifications

Nearly 50 public school teachers from the Houston area were named by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) on Wednesday for allegedly obtaining fraudulent teacher certifications as part of a statewide scheme rooted in Houston.

Booker T. Washington High School basketball coach Vincent Grayson, Washington assistant principal Nicholas Newton and Yates High School assistant principal LaShonda Roberts, along with two other people, were arrested in October and charged with engaging in organized criminal activity for allegedly running the cheating ring. The scheme involved teachers paying thousands of dollars to have someone else take the certification exam for them, according to Harris County court documents.

Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said in October that more than 200 teachers across the state were suspected of obtaining fraudulent teaching certifications through the scheme. On Wednesday, TEA released a list of more than 100 teachers who are under investigation for potentially being involved.

"TEA fully expects additional investigations to be opened as the agency receives more information," a TEA spokesperson wrote in an email.

Read more: https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/education-news/2024/12/04/507856/nearly-50-houston-area-teachers-named-by-tea-for-allegedly-obtaining-fraudulent-certifications/