Five educators have already been charged in the million-dollar teacher cheating scandal as the number of teachers under investigation grows.
AUSTIN, Texas — More than 100 Texas teachers are under investigation in a major fraudulent certification scheme that now involves a pair of Del Valle ISD teachers.
In October, multiple people were charged in a teacher certification cheating ring that led to unqualified teachers being hired throughout Texas.
Authorities in Houston said the elaborate scheme, which started around May 2020, led to an ongoing statewide investigation. Investigators said teachers used test-taking proxies—individuals who impersonated them—to pass certification exams. A fake test administrator would oversee the process, and a testing center employee was bribed to allow the cheating.
Now the Texas Education Agency (TEA) is investigating more than 100 teachers across the state, including two from Del Valle ISD, for allegedly participating in the scheme. Del Valle ISD said it was aware of allegations involving the teachers, one of which is currently employed by the district, while the other worked for Del Valle ISD during the 2023-24 school year.
While authorities aren’t sure how many teachers participated in the scheme, the Texas Education Agency said it expects more teachers to be added to its list of pending investigations.
“The extent of this scheme will never be fully known, but we know that at least 400 tests were taken and at least 200 teachers falsely certified,” former Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said about the scandal.
Five educators have already been charged in the million-dollar teacher cheating scandal.
Three of those include two Houston ISD assistant principals and a Houston ISD boy’s high school basketball coach. Two of the people charged allegedly paid for the fake certification and used it to commit crimes against children. One was charged with indecency with a child while the other was charged with online solicitation of a minor.
Prosecutors believe the scheme’s kingpin was a Houston high school boys’ basketball coach who profited more than $1 million. Prosecutors said he charged $2,500 per fake certification, though some people paid higher fees due to middlemen.
Meanwhile, Del Valle ISD said its top priority is to ensure it provides a high-quality education to all students and that it would be cooperating with the TEA’s investigation.