Dozens of students and parents defended the teachers who lost their jobs, saying that removing them in the middle of the school year would be too disruptive.
Posted on 03/17/2006 2:23:34 AM PST by freepatriot32
MIAMI (March 17) - A growing scandal over teachers who paid to get credit for courses they never took has cost nearly three dozen educators their jobs, and hundreds of others were being investigated.
The Miami-Dade County School Board voted 5-4 on Wednesday to fire six teachers and accept resignations from 26 others.
The punishments stem from a scam run by former high school teacher William McCoggle, who claimed to offer continuing-education classes through a private company. McCoggle pleaded guilty to fraud in November, admitting he did little more than sell transcripts, requiring no tests, homework or other academic work.
On Wednesday, dozens of students and parents defended the teachers who lost their jobs, saying that removing them in the middle of the school year would be too disruptive.
Board member Evelyn Greer, who voted against the firings, agreed. "It baffles me, just baffles me, to have disruptions at the class level," Greer said.
Florida law requires public school teachers take the equivalent of six education credits every five years to maintain their licenses. The credits can also get teachers raises and let them teach other courses.
McCoggle, who had taught in Miami-Dade County schools since 1983 before retiring last summer, agreed to serve two years in prison in a deal with prosecutors and must pay up to $100,000 in restitution.
Hundreds of teachers who never took classes are being investigated for buying continuing education transcripts.
Last fall, Ohio's Otterbein College, which has about 3,000 students, revoked nearly 10,000 credits given to 657 teachers. It was one of five schools that prosecutors say provided the course credits through McCoggle's company, Move On Toward Education and Training.
Dozens of students and parents defended the teachers who lost their jobs, saying that removing them in the middle of the school year would be too disruptive.
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Really, this is great news because it's just so surprising that anything was done at all!
I'M disgusted. With school taxes as high as they are, the students deserve teachers who know how to study and pass exams.
Evelyn Greer is either an ex-teacher or union owned.
Getting caught at cheating is SOO pc these days. Why would anyone ever want to take measures against teachers for cheating these days?
On Wednesday, dozens of students and parents defended the teachers who lost their jobs, saying that removing them in the middle of the school year would be too disruptive.
The Dan Rather defense: Even if the transcripts weren't exactly authentic, they could be technically accurate.
That's what a College of Education is.
I am not defending this dishonest behavior. However, your statement is ridiculous, and false. You have no idea about what you're speaking.
I do remember showing up for tests in college. Everything else is kind of blurry. :-)
The DNC announced that there are three dozen new polling workers for the 2006 election and three dozen more delegates available to attend the 2008 convention full time.
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Miami is the bannana republic of the U.S.
So culturely diverse it is hard to get by speaking english.
So many cubans who grew up under socialism live there now it is full of those who have no drive. The govt. should take care of us is the attitude.
The cubans who came over before the relolution are hard working honest good folk while Marialitos aren't worth spit.
Unfortunately, I do. I work with and around education majors every day.
Of course if this involved a Charter school or a private school receiving vouchers, the school would be shut down and there would be cries of "where's the accountability?"
These government pits of ignorance and moral decay disgust me. When is the entire corrupt mess going to be shut down?
Good gad.
You are correct. I will bet that in education you have more degrees bought than has been earned. This is the rule rather than the exception and most bodies never really check it out.
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