四虎影院

Fifteen Tarrant County educators are among more than 100 across the state under investigation by the Texas Education Agency for allegedly obtaining their teaching certifications through fraudulent means.

The allegations, spread across six Tarrant County school districts and one charter school, follow a statewide probe into a testing scheme who, along with four others, is facing charges from Harris County prosecutors for facilitating the scheme.

The operation for unqualified candidates, according to Attorney General Ken Paxton. Now, North Texas districts, including Fort Worth ISD and Arlington ISD, are grappling with the fallout.

Arlington ISD has already placed its allegedly uncertified educators on leave, according to the district. International Leadership of Texas, a charter school system, has terminated the contract of one of its employees.

The Report received a list of allegedly uncertified educators from the TEA Dec. 5. Five allegedly uncertified educators were employed by Fort Worth ISD based on 2023-24 financial data, according to the district.

The TEA list named the following Fort Worth ISD educators as having allegedly obtained their certifications through fraudulent means:

• Destiny Bowman-Smith
• Hanna Hogan
• Dominique Reagor
• Sheba Regan-Waterford
• Reuben Vaughn

鈥淭he district takes this matter seriously, is cooperating fully with TEA, and will continue to do so to address this issue thoroughly,鈥� a Fort Worth ISD spokesperson said in a statement.

Fort Worth ISD relies on TEA and the State Board for Educator Certification to oversee certification processes, the district鈥檚 statement said.

Hogan , according to the school鈥檚 website.

Reagor, who as an Arlington Heights High School assistant basketball coach, had an active page on X. Reagor often reposted videos of Arlington Heights basketball games on that social media page,

It is unclear whether the Arlington Heights coach was hired before the 2023-24 financial year ended in June. Reagor did not respond to multiple Fort Worth Report requests for comment.

Vaughn as an assistant coach at Dunbar High School, according to the school鈥檚 website.

More information on Bowman-Smith and Regan-Waterford鈥檚 employment history with the district was not immediately available.

Arlington ISD immediately placed three employees on leave upon notification from the TEA, according to the district.

鈥淭he TEA is conducting a thorough investigation, and the Arlington ISD is fully cooperating and supporting their efforts,鈥� the district said in a statement.

The three educators named from Arlington ISD are:

• Shayla Bragg
• Money Martin
• Jordan Versey

Bragg and Versey is Martin works as a at Sam Houston High School.

Arlington ISD board members next meet Dec. 12, when trustees could vote to terminate employees鈥� contracts, according to meeting documents.

Two Crowley ISD educators, two Mansfield ISD educators, one Everman ISD educator and one Eagle Mountain-Saginaw educator were also named by the TEA.

Those educators are:

• Dnarius Green, Crowley ISD
• Janesha Haliburton, Crowley ISD
• Xavier Adams, Mansfield ISD
• Shameika Osborne, Mansfield ISD
• Caleb Hendrix, Everman ISD
• Dayon Mallet, Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD

Green is an , according to MaxPreps. Haliburton has in Crowley ISD, though it鈥檚 unclear where she has taught.

Crowley ISD did not respond to a request for comment. Crowley ISD trustees next meet Dec. 12, during which they could vote to terminate any employee contract.

Mansfield ISD confirmed to the TEA that both teachers are current district employees, the district said in a statement.

Mansfield ISD鈥檚 Adams has for the district鈥檚 Legacy High School, according to social media posts. Osborne at Charlene McKinzey Middle School.

鈥淲e are cooperating fully with TEA鈥檚 investigation,鈥� the district said. 鈥淚n addition, MISD is conducting its own investigation into our employees and will take appropriate action.鈥�

At Everman ISD, Hendrix was , according to the district鈥檚 2023-24 annual report. Hendrix was not employed by Everman ISD for this school year, the district told the Report.

Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD has placed its allegedly uncertified educator, Mallet, on leave, the district said in a statement to the Report. EMS ISD is 鈥渃ooperating fully鈥� with TEA as they investigate, it said.

Mallet is at Marine Creek Middle School.

International Leadership of Texas, a public charter school network with six Tarrant County campuses, terminated the contract of the teacher listed by the TEA, a spokesperson told the Report.

The educator named by the TEA was Kawonda Williams,

鈥淲e are working with TEA and providing them with whatever information they need for their investigation,鈥� Caitlin Madison, the school system鈥檚 executive director of communications, said.

As a charter school system, International Leadership of Texas teachers are not required to have a teaching certification, she said.

鈥淏ut we do require all teachers to have a bachelor鈥檚 degree. We also encourage teachers to properly obtain teaching certificates, and support that effort through our own (programs),鈥� Madison said. 鈥淛ust like ISD鈥檚, our hiring process includes a thorough review of certifications and TEA records.鈥�

When asked about the best general practices for teacher certification, TEA spokesperson Jake Kobersky referred to the agency鈥檚 website. The webpage outlines five requirements in becoming a certified teacher in Texas.

Becoming a certified teacher in Texas requires meeting specific qualifications to ensure educators are well-prepared to lead classrooms. The process includes five key steps:

1. Obtain a bachelor鈥檚 degree

• Candidates must earn a degree from an accredited college or university.
• The Texas Administrative Code requires degrees from institutions recognized by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
• Certain certifications, such as Health Science Technology and Trades & Industrial Education, are exempt from this requirement.

2. Complete an Educator Preparation Program

• Prospective teachers must complete an approved program, which includes coursework and field experience.
• Candidates without a degree must enroll in a university-based program, while degree-holders can pursue alternative certification or post-baccalaureate programs.

3. Pass certification exams

• Candidates must pass the appropriate certification exams for their desired teaching area.
• Exam approval is typically managed through the candidate鈥檚 program.

4. Submit a state application

• Once all requirements are met, candidates must submit an application to the Texas Education Agency for certification.
• Applicants are advised to verify eligibility with their program before applying.

5. Complete fingerprinting

• First-time applicants must undergo fingerprinting as part of a national criminal background check to ensure classroom safety.

Within Tarrant County, four universities offer bachelor鈥檚 degrees in teaching and other subjects, while two separate campuses 鈥� Education Service Center Region 11 and the Education Career Alternatives Program 鈥� offer educator preparation programs.

While university costs vary, Education Service Center Region 11 and its GoTeach! Program costs prospective educators $5,950. The Education Career Alternatives Program costs $4,300.

Both programs take up to 300 hours of online or in-person training to complete.

Editor鈥檚 Note: This story was updated 12/11 to include a response from Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD.

Matthew Sgroi is an education reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at matthew.sgroi@fortworthreport.org or . 

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