Dozens of Miami Teachers Fired or Quit: Scandal Grows Over Payments to Get Credit for Courses

http://articles.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id=20060316163909990002&ncid=NWS00010000000001 ^ | 3 17 06

[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.

[EmilyGeiger]

Miami Dade Co. wow that's a shock...must be George Bush's fault.

[lump in the melting pot]

Holy exam scams Batman!

McCoggle was my 10th grade phys. ed. teached at Miami Palmetto high school in '88. He was fat, and I still remember him telling us we had to keep running and jumping jacks or we'd turn out like him. He didn't mention anything about breaking the law though...

[Revelation 911]

dont feel bad....

this guy was my next door neighbor and best buddy while growing up in Rochester NY

[Clara Lou]

I will bet that in education you have more degrees bought than has been earned. This is the rule rather than the exception
It's the "rule"? Please share your proof of this statement with us. (You do have proof to support your statement, right?) Why, this is a whole new scandal that you've broken into the news right here at FR!

[Clara Lou]

We do have to wonder where replacements for these teachers will come from.

[chatham]

Great News!!!

How about Billy Bulger getting $260,000 + $30,000 per year for housing after retiring from university of Massachusetts.

There needs to be a real investigation and reform of the educational system countrywide.

[SE Mom]

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

---

Apparently Greer wasn't baffled by the corrupt teachers behavior.

I wonder what, EXACTLY, does Greer imagine these students would learn if the teachers were not punished?

Ahhh yes..there would be a gathering in the student auditorium where the merits of moral relativism would be discussed. They could point out that "for the greater good" of the student body these dishonest teachers would continue to teach and collect a salary.

Actually, I'm surprised they didn't.

[RSmithOpt]

Nothing will come of this except, more MSM doom and gloom for: "it's for the children's sake", coupled with an increase in taxes to pay for more 'public programs', air time for incumbent politicians to say how terrible 'it' is and 'we need to do something about it', and for those currently responsible (the state and county governments - the school boards, school system administrations, the principals) to keep on doing the job they've been doing like always.

Funny thing, back in the '60's and '70's if a teacher was caught cheating (lying about their qualifications), they'd never get a job as trash collector in that county after that. Of course, what a great example to set for those they teach...... (/sarcasm)

[eleni121]

C'mon...half of these teachers take sick and personal days at least once a week and more.

[gunnedah]

Masters were sold in an area in my state sometime back and it was proven. They did not rescind the degrees and the person that did it may have been fined I cant remember at the moment. I know of people who earned degrees through the mail that when they were checked out were false and I will guarantee you can buy them now over the Internet. There are plenty of ficticious degrees around this country and not only in the teaching profession.

[george wythe]

I wonder what, EXACTLY, does Greer imagine these students would learn if the teachers were not punished?

I heard the hearing live on the radio, and Greer has a point.

She wanted to vote for firing teachers also, but she wanted the punishment to become effective in a few weeks, at the end of the school year.

If the bureaucrats waited this long to hand out punishment, they could have waited a little longer.

Many teenage students pled with the board members, in tears, to allow the teachers to stay a little longer until the students had finished their Advance Placement classes for college credits.

Yesterday, the School Board also voted to recruit foreign teachers because of the severe teacher shortage. In other words, there are no qualified teachers to take over these spots in such a short notice.

[Libertarian444]

The Miami-Dade County School Board voted 5-4 on Wednesday to fire six teachers and accept resignations from 26 others.

Scandal #2 is the fact that the firings just barely passed the MDC School Board.

[Clara Lou]

Sorry--you said This is the rule rather than the exception. Your response did nothing to prove this statement. Your statement is unsupportable--it's not true.

[gunnedah]

There are a lot of things that are true but not supportable because of the way things are run in this country. The education system and most anything entity run by government has a lot of cover-ups and therein lies great problems.I admit most probably it is not the rule but there are a lot of bogus degrees and degrees that are not really earned the way they should be out there.

[Galveston Grl]

I'm shocked they actually removed these teachers. But let's face something: By law teachers has to be licensed and by law they had to have a certain amount of course work to be licensed. So...it would have been illegal to permit them to stay in the classrooms as they were unlicensed.

[Clara Lou]

I don't deny that degree-buying exists. Too many people do it, and it's not limited to the field of education.

[gunnedah]

I agree. I said in an earlier post the degrees were all over the place. It may just be more prevalent in my area but I know a lot of teachers and would bet they agree with me.
I would not have a teachers job. It is one of the least rewarding jobs in this country now and that was not the case when I was growing up. In my school years I never met a teacher that did not care and never met one I did not respect but oh how the times have changed.

[SALChamps03]

Have you ever attended a school of education?

[SALChamps03]

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.

It's very easy to make a ridiculous statement on a posting forum without any data with which to back it up.

[SALChamps03]

C'mon...half of these teachers take sick and personal days at least once a week and more.

Teacher attendance is subject to open records laws. Please share your data, if it exists.