Texas Teacher Certification Program: Bonds for HISD Employees Accused of Stopping Four-Year Plan

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — One day after an alleged teacher certification scandal was announced in Houston, all of the indicted suspects made their first court appearance on Tuesday.

We continue to learn more about what transpired as the Harris County District Attorney’s Office confirms that a statewide plan has been devised to give hundreds of paying teachers a pass for certification.

We still don’t know how many Houston Independent School District School teachers are among the more than 200 teachers who benefited from this scandal and paid the $2,500 to get their certification.

The Texas Education Agency is not providing a list of teachers affected by this situation, citing the investigation.

The district attorney’s office says five people are facing charges in connection with this teacher certification fraud scandal.

They include three HISD employees who have since been removed from their positions. HISD confirmed Monday that these employees will remain on paid leave for the remainder of the proceedings.

One of these concerns the man believed to be the mastermind behind the plan.

Vincent Grayson, 57, the head boys’ basketball coach at Booker T. Washington High School. Grayson is accused of bribing employees at testing sites and two HISD assistant principals to help him implement the four-year plan.

“It is alleged that between May 2020 and February 2024, you charged teachers $2,500 to ensure that the teachers applying for certification could check into the testing site, and that teacher left and someone else would take the certification test,” said a hearing officer. Harris County probable cause court.

An officer set his bond at $300,000.

Former Booker T. Washington assistant principal Nicholas Newton also appeared in court Tuesday.

“This defendant was the proxy who administered the tests for the participants,” a hearing officer read in court.

His bond was set at $200,000. He is accused of taking more than 400 tests to help teachers across the state get their certifications.

A judge also set bond at $200,000 for former Yates High School assistant principal LaShonda Roberts, who is accused of recruiting dozens of teachers to participate in the fraud ring.

Roberts was absent from probable cause court; however, her attorney did appear for her.

“My client no longer has a job, so her financial options will be seriously limited,” said Rpberts’ lawyer.

“It’s completely unacceptable,” HISD Communications Alexandra Elizondo said Monday after news of the scandal broke.

At issue is an investigation by HISD, which the district said it had no idea about until just before the arrests.

HISD says it is investigating the situation and will fire teachers who received their certification through this fraudulent scheme.

The TEA does not want to say where these teachers were or continue to teach.

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