Cheating scandal: Feds say teachers hired stand-in to take their certification tests

AP ^ | 11/25/2012 | Adrian Sainz

[Calamari]

It was a brazen and surprisingly long-lived scheme, authorities said, to help aspiring public school teachers cheat on the tests they must pass to prove they are qualified to lead their classrooms.

For 15 years, teachers in three Southern states paid Clarence Mumford Sr. — himself a longtime educator — to send someone else to take the tests in their place, authorities said. Each time, Mumford received a fee of between $1,500 and $3,000 to send one of his test ringers with fake identification to the Praxis exam. In return, his customers got a passing grade and began their careers as cheaters, according to federal prosecutors in Memphis.

[MaxMax]

Liberal Arts. Nuff said..

[ejonesie22]

This guy is a shoe in if Obama needs to replace an education czar...

[ejonesie22]

This guy is a shoe in if Obama needs to replace an education czar...

[dennisw]

How come I’m not surprised by these shenanigans by these Obama voters?

[caveat emptor]

I've known lots of teachers, mine, my children's, in US and Canada. None brilliant. Mine, in US in 40s and 50s, were OK - thoughtful, helpful, well-intentioned, but none as dumb as characterized in this thread. My kids' in Canada's teachers were not so thoughtful, helpful, and well-intentioned, but not stupid. Same with doctors, but more likely in Canada to encounter ass hole doctors, still not stupid.

My grandchildren in US are either home schooled, in Montessori schools, or in closely monitored public schools. Don't know much about them, but their teachers are not stupid.

I know plenty of teachers in my own small remote community in BC. Most are OK, a psychopath or two, political leftists, and only one that I known who is stupid; but hey I go shooting with my local high school principal! Seems like an OK guy.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Certainly far from the old picture of the educated schoolmarm. She’d have been aghast to see such an easy test and learn that her posterity was having such trouble. Sounds like any reasonably educated person would do well on it.

Really, someone ought to come up with a laundered version of the test (same logic, but different answers) and publish it, free, to the entire world on the web. Just to show the whole world how easy it really is.

[dennisw]

Thanks for your account! Police and Fire exams in many major cities have been dumbed down to fulfill racial (actually racist) quota system so why not teachers exams. I laugh when they puff up their chests and call themselves educators. Back in my public school days they called themselves teachers but were real educators, far superior to the breed we have today

[pieceofthepuzzle]

Wait until you see what happens with medical training.

[dennisw]

5JimBob

Not a problem. We’ll just do what Britain did when faced with the same problem. Import doctors from the third world and strip their medical system bare of professionals.
November 25, 2012 - 11:30 am Link to this Comment | Reply

Richard http://pjmedia.com/blog/a-physicians-new-reality-patients-ask-me-to-break-the-law/?singlepage=true

[pieceofthepuzzle]

” Import doctors from the third world and strip their medical system bare of professionals.”

Already underway. So glad I spent most of my youth training..

I’ve thought about what advice to give my child about career choices, and have come to the conclusion that an important consideration is whether or not a chosen career is likely to have government intervention, or has government dependency. If so, think twice.

[gusopol3]

to send someone else to take the tests in their place,

works at the voting booth too.

[ex91B10]

"Wait until you see what happens with medical training."

Just go to a local VA hospital and your fears will be confirmed.

Impeach the kenyan or secession.

[dennisw]

check out this comment relating to importing doctors for 0-care to fill in the gaps. My point is there are many 3rd worlders who would love to be wage-slave doctors under 0-Care. Accepting compensation and working conditions our older American doctors would find insulting and will walk out on or retire >>>>>>

Rich K
This is true,especially up in Canada. My friend lives in BC and the wait for a simple visit is 90 days minimum,no exceptions. And all or most of the docs are Indies. And the best part is most speak sh_t English so getting understood is even a problem. Start practicing your Hindi folks.
November 25, 2012 - 1:56 pm Link to this Comment | Reply

[saywhatagain]

"Mumford eventually approached Shaw and asked her to take a biology certification examination on behalf of a teacher who had failed the test eleven times and was in danger of losing her job.

Shaw initially declined but, after meeting the teacher who needed the test taken, agreed to take the test for $1000. Shaw took approximately twelve to fifteen tests and was paid approximately $8,000," according to a statement issued by Stanton's office.

http://www.memphisflyer.com/CityBeatBlog/archives/2012/10/04/mentor-steered-new-teacher-to-cheating-scandal

[dinodino]

Yup, pretty much what I’d expect from public schoolteachers.

[dinodino]

Public schoolteachers are, by and large, complete morons. Thank you for posting your experience, and I’m not surprised by it at all!

[SES1066]

Remember that old ditty; “Those who can do, those who can’t teach!”

[napscoordinator]

That is sad. I took the Praxis Exam and passed on my first shot and I am not an Einstein by any means. Truly if people have to hire someone to take that exam than I don’t know how they passed their classes in college.

[napscoordinator]

This is another reason why I am so ademately against on-line college courses. How do we know it isn’t some wife or husband doing the course work for their spouse? I would ban all on-line classes if I were in charge. I know it is an easy money maker but I bet 99 percent of the student are big fat cheaters!!!!

[Chickensoup]

Why are the feds involved?

Is this one of those charges that involves the ever creeping fed rule?