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Teacher on cellphone means FCAT scores get tossed

Brittany Walker teaches sixth grade at the A-rated Markham Woods Middle School in Heathrow.

It has been alleged that several of her students were able to cheat on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) test, because she was on the phone while they were taking the test.

The state said  that because Walker was on her cellphone, test scores for every student in her classroom have to be thrown out.

Student Crystal Vazquez described Walker's FCAT classroom to WFTV.

"It was really hard to concentrate during the test," said Vazquez.

Vazquez was among a group of sixth-graders taking their FCAT math tests in April.

Walker, 27, was monitoring the  students, but district officials said she sat at the head of the room on her cellphone.

WFTV was told that students started talking amongst themselves, even swapping test answers.

"Did you see kids cheating on the test?" WFTV reporter Bianca Castro asked Vazquez.

"Yeah, some of them were cheating. Like, they would ask other for answers and they would tell each other the answers," said Vazquez.

District officials said they can't confirm the allegations of cheating. But all the test scores have been invalidated because, they said, Walker "tainted the testing atmosphere."

The FCAT scores are used to judge a child's progress from year to year.

Officials said the invalidated scores may have an impact on performance pay for teachers at the school. Good scores could mean higher bonuses.

"That's why it is so important these days, with everything riding on testing ... that every child has fair, equitable access to doing everything best they can," said John Reichert of the Orange County School District.

Rules during FCAT testing are strict. Students have to place their backpacks away from testing areas. They can't have cellphone, and even teacher's cellphones are supposed to be turned off.

Joanna Vazquez, Cystal's mother, doesn't understand why Walker didn't follow the rules.

"I think it pretty much sucks. If the teacher isn't in a right state of mind to teach kids, she shouldn't even be teaching," said Joanna Vazquez.

Walker is still at the school, but school officials said she will likely serve a two-day unpaid suspension next week.

Walker has been with the district for a year and a half.

The school board still has to approve her suspension at its meeting next week.
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