In an attempt to fill teaching positions still left open by teachers implicated in Atlanta's widespread cheating scandal, Atlanta Public Schools is hosting an "online job fair" to recruit educators through the end of the month.
When APS reopened for the new school year last month, more than 130 of the 178 educators implicated in cheating allegations were placed on paid leave while the others quit or retired. The school system quickly hired 109 new employees to replace those who have left vacancies, but not all are teachers, WSB-TV reported.
To fill other spots, dozens of APS media center employees were placed in teaching positions -- positions those library workers said they weren't certified or comfortable to take on.
Still, by the end of August, many students were still being taught by temporary and substitute teachers, MyFox Atlanta reported. Parents expressed concern that there was little continuity in curriculum.
According to the APS website, the district "has an immediate need for highly qualified individuals … in Early Childhood Education or a Middle School core content area." They seek to hire "teachers who are innovative, enthusiastic, and looking for the opportunity to prepare students for a successful future."
No experience is required, but applicants must have a bachelor's degree with at least a 2.5 GPA. The listing has eight points for "performance responsibilities," the final of which is: "Adheres to local, state, and national testing procedures."
Reports first surfaced over the summer that widespread cheating among teachers in Atlanta boosted the district's standardized test scores. A two-year investigation revealed that educators had participated in various forms of cheating, from erasing students' wrong answers and correcting them to prompting students during exams.
The Atlanta investigations have led to a number of other investigations and implications in school districts across the country -- ranging from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C.