The president of the Houston Federation of Teachers says a teacher tried to report instances of TAKS cheating last year, but was rebuffed by HISD officials:
The Key Middle School teacher told union representatives last year that a school administrator had given her and her colleagues advance copies of the 2004 Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills for their students to use as practice exams, said Gayle Fallon, president of the Houston Federation of Teachers.
Key is one of 25 Houston Independent School District campuses under investigation because of uncharacteristically high scores on the TAKS.
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A union representative approached chief HISD attorney Elneita Hutchins-Taylor and offered to have the teacher give a statement in return for immunity, Fallon said. Hutchins-Taylor declined.
“As far as I know, nothing was done,” Fallon said.
HISD spokesman Terry Abbott said district officials would not discuss the ongoing investigation, and Hutchins-Taylor did not return a call placed by the Houston Chronicle.
Fallon said the teacher and her colleagues thought the tests they received were copies of the previous year’s exam. She said they didn’t realize they were advance copies of the current test until exam day.
According to the Chronicle, this was not the first time allegations of TAKS cheating came to the attention of district officials:
HISD administrators have been accused in another case of not taking teachers’ allegations of cheating seriously. Former Wesley Elementary teacher Donna Garner voiced concerns about cheating at her school during a school board meeting in 2003. District officials initiated an investigation at the time but failed to follow through until November, when Hutchins-Taylor suggested hiring an outside law firm to investigate.
On Thursday, Saavedra acknowledged the district dropped the ball on the Wesley investigation but stopped short of blaming his predecessor, recently retired Superintendent Kaye Stripling.
“It’s unacceptable that we have not had quick responses,” Saavedra said. “This thing should have been investigated a long time ago.”
Yes, it is unacceptable that this was not investigated promptly, when it was reported. Teachers and other administrative support staff should not be taking the fall if their superiors instruct them to cheat, and HISD officials need to be reponsive when teachers and staff report problems. It is alarming that district officials had warnings about cheating, even back in 2003, and appear to have swept those concerns under the rug.
