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ALBANY, GA -- The Dougherty County School System is making efforts to clean up classrooms after a CRCT investigation report revealed teachers confessed to cheating on standardized tests.

During Wednesday night’s meeting, Board of Education members discussed 18 teachers who confessed.

Two educators who were not permanent employees of the school system were immediately terminated and three instructors resigned or retired from their positions.

School board officials say those since those three were tenured employees, they will receive benefits.

The remaining 13 educators who confessed to cheating are being removed from classrooms and placed at the Isabella school complex until further evidence is received. 

They are not being terminated immediately because they are under contract and officials say they have to follow all school and state laws when dealing with these matters.

“Several of us, almost all of us would have loved to have taken a different route but we have to do it legally,” said DCSS Board of Education Chairman Rev. James Bush.

The board also made a vote to remove three principals until further evidence is found. However, this does not mean they will be fired after they go to the tribunal.

“In the report it outlined that there were people who gave evidence that these individual cheated so what I wanted to do across the board and remove those particular principals as well,” said Dougherty County School System Superintendant Dr. Joshua Murfree. 

School board officials expect to receive more evidence for their case within two to three weeks. They want to be careful not to incriminate anyone without sufficient evidence.

Rev. James Bush explained that these ethical violations will remain on the teacher’s record whether or not they resign or get terminated.

Dr. Murfree says they’re removing the educator from the schools to let the community know that they are serious about excellence in education and they won't take less.

“By removing those teachers we're able to put in early intervention teachers and they are certified and well trained so that our students don't lose anything,” said Dr. Murfree.