This article is over 9 years old

Education News

Investigation Finds Five Teachers at Jefferson Elementary Cheated on Exams

The Houston Independent School District wants to fire those teachers.

Share

Investigators say five teachers at Jefferson Elementary were involved in cheating on state exams last year.

Now the Houston Independent School District wants to fire those teachers. It will recommend that at its board meeting Thursday.

There are still 11 other teachers from Jefferson in North Houston under investigation. The district says it will continue to examine their conduct on last year’s state standardized tests.

Superintendent Terry Grier says in a written statement he takes these findings “very seriously” and that it’s imperative to have “reliable and unbiased test results, as testing helps the district measure the degree to which students are learning.”

The Houston teachers union and also some parents at Jefferson Elementary have rejected the cheating allegations. They’ve also raised concerns with how investigators have handled the probe.

The investigation for HISD was done by the law firm Martin, Disiere, Jefferson & Wisdom.

Last November, the Houston school district announced it was reassigning 20 teachers from two elemetary schools, Jefferson and Atherton, amid cheating allegations. Last month, HISD said it found that three teachers from Atherton were implicated in cheating.

Today in Houston Newsletter Signup
We're in the process of transitioning services for our Today in Houston newsletter. If you'd like to sign up now, fill out the form below and we will add you as soon as we finish the transition. **Please note** If you are already signed up for the newsletter, you do not need to sign up again. Your subscription will be migrated over.