Sanctions taken against 11 APS educators

The state commission that certifies teachers and school administrators has decided to suspend the professional certification of eight Atlanta teachers for two years.

In addition, three educators in leadership positions  --  a principal, an assistant principal and a testing coordinator  --  had their certification revoked. Channel 2 Action News has been told all work in the same Atlanta middle school and were accused in the state investigating of cheating on standardized CRCT tests.

”No matter what your thoughts are about state tests, nothing gives you the right to cheat, said Kelly Henson, Executive Secretary of the Georgia Professional Standards Commission.

Channel 2’s Tom Regan spoke to Henson after sitting in on a meeting of commission members. They discussed cheating evidence against educators at Atlanta Public Schools and other districts. The commission took action against three Dekalb County educators, two of whom received two-year license suspensions. The license of the other educator was revoked.

The commission also agreed to open new investigations on 80 other Atlanta educators implicated in the cheating investigation. In the coming months, a total of 200 cases will be investigated by the state agency.

Sanctioned educators can appeal the decision to an administrative judge. They also can take their case to court.

Most of the educators under investigation are on paid administrative leave as their case winds through the system.