A Fort Lauderdale woman is behind bars, accused of taking statewide teacher exams for several educators, Florida’s attorney general announced Thursday.
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Kashaundra Knowles, 37, who runs a tutoring business, had been taking the exams in person for other people for $1,000 per test over the last two years, according to the Florida Office of Statewide Prosecution. Three of those teachers who hired her are from the Broward County Public Schools district.
“She fraudulently took tests for other people, and now there are teachers here in Broward County that have no business being in the classroom,” Attorney General James Uthmeier said. “They did not get their proper certifications; they have cheated, and they will pay for it.”
Knowles allegedly took exams for a teacher at Westglades Middle School in Parkland and a teacher assistant at Parkway Middle School in Fort Lauderdale, state investigators said.
She allegedly went to great lengths to disguise herself to look like her customers, changing her hair, clothes and makeup to match the person for whom she was testing. In at least one case, Knowles even dressed as a man to take an elementary education exam, investigators said.
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“This is appalling to me. Just like we don’t expect kids to cheat in the classroom, we don’t expect teachers to cheat either,” said Broward Superintendent Howard Hepburn.
Hepburn said the school district will open its own investigation into the accused educators. Chances are, they won’t still be at the district come fall.
“When we identify those individuals, we’re going to fire them immediately, I’m going to be honest with you,” he said. “We just don’t tolerate people doing things the wrong way.”
Knowles is charged with organized scheme to defraud.
The state also alleged she took exams for at least eight people statewide, and the tests were taken in South Florida. Knowles also allegedly took the GED and nursing exams for other people.
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