Philly school principal, four teachers charged in cheating scandal

This is beyond most people's believe!
In fact, I really cannot imagine anybody who will nod their head in agreement of their cheating activities.
Thinking of doing so alone would be insane enough!
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The principal and four teachers at a Hunting Park elementary school are accused of fostering a culture of cheating on standardized tests for five years, authorities said yesterday.

Evelyn Cortez, principal at Cayuga Elementary School on N. 5th Street near St. Luke Street, and four teachers there - Jennifer Hughes, Lorraine Vicente, Rita Wyszynski and Ary Sloane - allegedly changed student answers, provided test answers to students and improperly reviewed the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment before administering the tests, the state attorney general's office said today.

Cortez, 59, "blatantly" promoted the cheating, the attorney general's office said, entering classrooms, letting children know when their answer was incorrect, and even reprimanding teachers who didn't want to take part and students who didn't want to change wrong answers.

"Cheating robs children of a good education and hurts kids and families," Attorney General Kathleen G. Kane. "The alleged misconduct by these educators is an affront to the public's trust and will not be tolerated."

Students were directed to record test answers on scrap paper instead of test booklets so teachers could check their work, authorities said, and this directive also was broadcast over the school's public address system.

Cortez, Vicente and Hughes were each charged with corrupt organizations, perjury, tampering, forgery, and criminal conspiracy. Sloane and Wyszynski are facing tampering, forgery, conspiracy charges.

When the alleged cheating stopped in 2012, the percentage of students who scored highly on the PSSA dropped, authorities said.

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