up on live, you can watch us by choosing the "watch live" icon. our top story the civilians who have been hit in the crisis in yemen. more details in a half hour after these headlines. >> convicted of cheating on student tests. now ten public school teach necessary atlanta are in a courtroom facing decades of jail time. a. police camera captures the shooting of an african-american man by a police security. the police are calling it a mistake but the family wants answers. and families of kidnapped

200 girls are hoping that the new government will bring the girls home. this is al jazeera america live from new york city. i'm randall pinkston. a group of former educators in atlanta will find out today if they'll spend time in jail for their role in one of the biggest school cheating scandals in american history. sentencing gets under way for ten former teachers and administrators in atlanta's public schools convicted of conspiring to change scores on standardized tests so teachers can get bonuses and in some cases keep their jobs. what were some of the protesters saying about the case? we see some of them behind through. yes, they are just dispersing right now. they were very vocal this

morning, and basically what they're saying is that they're not denying that this cheating was going on in the atlanta public school system, but they say that the teachers were victims of the system. they were trying to keep their jobs. they came under pressure and they were trying to meet. unrealist'sunrealic standard. they want them to be given time served. many who were convicted were taken away in handcuffs and have been in jail. they want leniency. they're saying because this happens, because these unrealistic standards are tried to be reached by these teachers, they don't--they come under so much pressure that cheat something almost encouraged. but remember when this case started 180 employee from the public school system were accused of cheating. it was extremely widespread.

no one is denying that it is happening, but they say something that should be addressed by the system on a wider scale there are ten people in court behind me who are simply scapegoats of that similar. that--system. >> i saw a picture of andrew young speaking on behalf of the teachers. we learned today that the judge learned that one of those teachers had been a counselor for his trial. so the question is were these bad teachers? what kind of testimony are they hearing on their behalf? >> well, they do seem to have a great deal of support today outside of the court system. i have to say just a few minutes ago a parent from atlanta just wandered up to me and said, what about the children? it's the children no one is talking about here today. he said these are the real victims in all of this because their exams were changed on such

a wide scale that main of them went from one grade to the next without qualifying, and that entire generation of children will leave school with a bad education. that's a parent who said he removed his children deliberately from the school system because he had no worries. ultimately they are the victims in all of this. but the supporters here behind me say that the teachers are also the victims of this unrealistic standardized testing that is set for them. but dr. beverly hall, who was in charge of the atlanta public school system is said to have run a regime of fear and intimidation and when teachers did come forward to say something has gone wrong here, test scores are being changed she outed them, and in some cases demoted them. there is a mixed picture here. there is a great deal of support for these ten teachers who are facing years in jail, but at the same time the concern over the teachers in georgia and the children who did not get the

education that they perhaps should have. >> what happened to superintendent hall? >> she actually died of breast cancer at the beginning of march. she would be here today. remember many of those who have been accused long the way throughout this long trial pled out and said yes, i will did it, i'm guilty. the judge specifically warned the 11 people who decided to trial if they did go to trial the consequences could be dire. one of those 11 is not here today. she gave birth on saturday. that's why there are only ten here today. but there they are facing dire situations here. they will hold jail sentences of up to 20 years in jail. what we're hearing this morning are pleading between the lawyers for the prosecution and the lawyers for the teachers involved we think they'll come back in court in the next couple of hours. >> the idea is that the sentence the punishment should fit the crime and some people are saying 20 years is

outlandish for whatever they did. meanwhile, the atlanta school system is facing an image issue. can they repair it? >> it really is. i mean, they have now hired a new superintendent. we have spoken to them over the past few weeks. they clearly want to clean up their act. and clearly the prosecution in this case want to send out a message that cheat something simply unacceptable. but if you look at similar cases across the country and there were many where teachers were cheating on the standardized tests. these teachers are facing racketeering charges because they accepted bonuses on these tests that were change: but many supporters say that the punishment simply does not fit the crime. demonstrators on the streets marching from new york to washington calling for criminal justice reform. they are in new jersey on the first leg of the 250-mile march.

more people are expected to join along the way. once the group reaches washington they will deliver their proposals for ending racial profiling and reforming the police practices. in oklahoma prosecutors are considering charges today against a reserve sheriff deputy in tulsa. he shot and killed an unarmed black man back on april 2nd when the deputy fired his gun instead of a taser. this weekend the police made public a video of what happened. morgan radford is hear. here. >> it's a complicated story and it all begins with 44-year-old eric harris, and he's accused of trying to sell an illegal gun to an undercover officer. he made a run for it when the police pulled him over, and then this happened. >> the video from a police body camera. [ gunfire ] >> i'm sorry i'm sorry. >> just to be clear this is what you just heard. a gunshot rings out and a police

officer says, oh, i shot him. i'm sorry. then the suspect says he shot me, oh my god. and complains that he's losing his breath. the officer's reply f your breath. authorities say that the shooter was 73-year-old reserve deputy sheriff robert bates who meant to shoot the unarmed harris with a stun gun but instead used his real begun. hence the i'm sorry you heard. this comes less than a week after another unarmed black man this one in south carolina was shot and killed by a white officer after also running from his car. that was after being pulled over for a broken taillight. last year eric garner another unarmed black man was choked and killed by arrests police officers in new york after being caught on tape saying, i can't breathe. reaction to the oklahoma city was swift. one of the most widely used hashtags out of this is f your breath. in fact, here's one tweet from

user i can't breathe with an imagine from the body camera with the words f your breath over it. "new york times" charles blow tweeted this message yesterday. he says, it seems i can't wake up these days without hearing about another person of color being killed by police. hash tag hash eric harris. this shows a comic of a man laying on the ground and the police saying you have the right to remain silent. bates has not been charged. >> morgan, what more do we know about deputy bates? >> he has been a reserve officer but tulsa has about a hundred of these officers on reserve and they're effectively volunteer cops. some pay to play and will donate thousands of dollars just to be in this police force. but when they're in the police force they have the full range

and duties of a full deputy while they're on duty. >> do we know if they are trained, if they receive any firearms training at all? >> i'm at not sure about that. it's been an interesting topic given his age, that he is 73. >> there is a manhunt going on in north carolina. officials say one person has died after being shot at the library at wayne community college about 50 miles from raleigh. the school is on lockdown as the police try to find the gunmen. students and law enforcement are seenouts of buildings on campus. it's unclear if the victim is an opportunity. it's a big day for presidential politics. florida senator marco rubio said that he's running for president. he'll officially address supporters in miami. we take a look at rubio's career. >> he cuts a high profile in republican party.

his youth and attractive personal history prompted mitt romney to feature rubio in his 2012 campaign. >> his name is mitt romney, the next president of the united states. >> rubio is briefly considered a potential running mate. this year rubio has been courting campaign donors through his political action committee called reclaim america and i has visited usual primary states to promote his book "american dreams." it details his experience as a son of cuban immigrants. >> you see america doesn't owe me anything. but i have a debt for america that i'll never be age to repay. for me america is not just a country. it's a place that literally changed the history of my family family. >> it's this narrative that the young senator hopes to leverage, and it's a story that could iowa appeal to hispanic americans. he's also linked to immigration

reform atop latino concern. in 2013 he responsibilitieserred a group with a bipartisan group called gang of 8. it called for tighter border security, legal status for undocumented workers and the most terror part for the g.o.p. a pathway to citizenship. many republicans compared it to amnesty and were infuriated at rubio. this year at c pac rubio spoke about his immigration efforts with fox news host sean hannity. >> i wasn't very popular, i don't know if you know that, but 1 million a year come to this country legally. but it's all based on whether or not you have a family member here and it can't be based on family alone. it has to be based on merit and economic contribution. >> the bill passed the u.s. senate but was not even considered in the republican-led house. for the past two years rubio has

distanced himself from his own legislation. >> you have 10 millions to 12 million people who have violated the immigration laws, i get all that. but what i learned you can't even have a conversation about that until people believe and know not just believe but it's proven to them that future illegal immigration will be controlled. >> rubio is against abortion rights opposes same-sex marriage and reject aggressive gun control but it's on foreign policy that he stands out. he's outspoken on security issues and hawkish on isil and iran. >> this is the road that this president has placed us on. a president who gives the president and ayatollah of iran more respect than the prime minister of israel. rubio called the president the single worst negotiator we've had in the white house in my lifetime. >> the white house has conceded

everything. and gained little. they gain no commitment on the part of the cuban regime, the freedom of press or the freedom of speech or elections. >> rubio is likely to be competing against long time mentor and friend former governor jeb bush. with bush's larger network of political donors nationwide and in florida rubio could have trouble funding a competitive campaign beyond the early prime primary contests. rubio insists that both candidates offer an unique message, and jeb bush will not hurt his chances. david shuster al jazeera. >> we'll have live coverage of senator rubio's announcement. hillary clinton is on the road, the former secretary of state kicking off her presidential campaign driving to iowa in a

van nicknamed scooby. this is reminiscent of her listening tour in her successful bid of new york senate seat. you'll see a different clinton campaign. some of the criticism of the the 2008 campaign was that it was too belligerent to the media. she has continued in her career to defy her critics in this campaign you'll see a lot more intimacy and interaction with voters even though presidential campaign is in the air in terms of media-driven, but you'll see a lot more intimacy, a better relationship with the media and i think you'll start--she'll start to highlight a lot of things that she shied away from in 2008. a lot of issues particularly i

think the issue of gender. i think now with a little bit of an opening you can--you can count on hillary clinton to talk about gender issues because it's not just about being the first woman to become president of the united states. i think it's also about reforming, reshaping recasting what it means to be a democrat in 2016. i think you'll hear some of that come out more. >> the clinton campaign will encourage backers to send in donations. the goal is to keep they her schedule free for from big campaigns to enable her to meet with voters. the secretary of state is call forgive patience until there is a final agreement. >> i think we've earned the right through what we've achieved in interim agreement and what we've laid out in this perimeter that has been set

forth. we've earned the right to x-ray to complete this without interference and certainly without partisan politics. >> secretary carry said that the obama administration needs to be able to negotiate without interference until the june 30th deadline. russia is lifting its ban on supplyies anti-missile rockets to iran. president vladimir putin reinstated a contract that had been canceled five years ago. russia will also supply iran with grain and construction materials in exchange for crude oil. tribal forces in yemen have taken control of three military camps in the southeastern part of the country. the camps now belong to forces loyal to former president ali abdullah saleh. he's accused of colluding with the houthies who forced the current president were power. in iraq, sunni muslims near tikrit say they're still under

siege even after being liberated from the grip of isil. human rights groups are now accusing shia militias of looting, kidnappings and even reprisal attacks. omar al sal salah has more. >> this family's hometown was under isil's control since june. three months ago iraqi forces backed by shia militias recaptured it. they are sunni and they say they are scared to return. >> we are afraid of the militias. we're afraid they might kill us and our families. >> we don't have weapons to defend ourselves if those militias were to storm our home. we would be dead just like the victims of the massacres. thousands of iranian-backed shia fighters have started to

recapture the area from isil. now they are everywhere. the province is on the border with iran and it's influence is evident. this border crossing was closed for 30 years. now it's wide open. the popular mobilization force and shia militias are the real power here. some analysts fear that the victory over isil may have strengthened the shia fighters. >> after the liberation of diyala we witnessed an increase in the attacks on sunnies. this phenomenon is disintegrate disintegrating the social fabric of diyala and it's changing the demography of the province. there is a sectarian and ethnic strife taking place in diyala. >> they say the fighters are only defending their country. he didhe denies any wrongdoing.

>> the talk of changing the demography is not true. we stopped isil. what they're accusing of us doing is just to defame the reputation of the fighters. >> iraq's fight against isil is not over. and there are growing fears of more reprisal attacks. premierprimaryattacks. theythey warn against demonizing this force, which is now the main power fighting isil. al jazeera. baghdad. >> next on al jazeera its been almost a year since more than 200 nigerian girls who kidnapped by boko haram. but family and friends are hopeful once again with the new government set to be in charge.

>> in nigeria a woman is dead after being mistaken for a boko

haram bomber. she is beaten by a mob and set on fire as hundreds of people watched. her mother said that she suffered from a mental illness and though who witnessed her death said that no bombs were found on her body. >> it's been nearly a year since boko haram kidnapped over 2-girls. now some parents and activists are hopeful that a new government will finally bring back the girls. >> this boy is three years old. all he seams to understand is that school girls were kidnapped by boko haram a long time ago. his parents aren't far. they've been meeting almost every day for a year along with other concerned nigerians. they don't want the girls forgotten. it's not all kids. something terrible happened in nigeria, and we should unite and demand the rescue of those girls. as long as our children are out

there, our children need to know that we look for them. >> in april of last year boko haram fighters attacked a school in the northern borno state and kidnapped more than 200 girls. the family said that every girl taken wanted to achieve something in life. that's why they went to school even though boko haram leaders for bid western education. the attack led to a global twitter campaign to free the girls with the hashtag #bring back our girls around the world. president buhari will be sworn in as president in may. some hope that his administration will do more to find the girls. others are skeptical. >> there are many in that support this effort. >> a year is a long time. slowly reality is sinking in for

some families. even if some of the girls are found alive parents don't know what condition they will be. how many are pregnant or who have children or how many of them are sick. president goodluck jonathan's outgoing administration kept tellling nigerians that the girls would be rescued soon. but for this father, brothers and sisters soon turned into weeks, months, and now 365 days. >> we can anxious about her. >> many in nigeria have not given up hope in finding all of them alive and they're asking the world to keep up the pressure and not abandon the chibok school girls. al jazeera abuja. >> next on al jazeera america.

>> i'm roxana saberi in myanmar. we'll explain how a lot of children in as young as eight in villages like this end up going to the big cities to work and support their families. >> now available, the new al jazeea america mobile news app.

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fragile planet >> the literary world is remembering nobel laureate gunter grass. he was known as the country's moral conscience. grass admitted he had served in the german military in 2002. he won the nobel praise for literature in 1999. human rights activist worry that much of the country's recovery is built on the backs of children. roxana saberi visited myanmar and has one child's story. >> a lot of children as young as eight in villages like this in myanmar drop out of school and go to work. they can earn around $15 a month

tending cows or working in a nearby rice field but in the cities they can earn twice as month. >> he's 12 and he has turned into the breadwinner. >> when i don't work sometimes my family is all right but sometimes they're not. it depends on whether my stepfather can find work. he doesn't have a steady job. >> some find jobs through friends and relatives. other find work through brokers who take a cut of the children's wages. tonight with the use of an undercover camera we'll show you how this business works. >> a lot of people here tell us putting children to work in this country is pretty much normal, but children rights activists say that if me air man does not address poverty inadequate education and child labor the future of the country will be in question. >> thank you for joining us.

i'm randall pinkston. the news continues next live from london. >> gun battles across the port city of aden as the battle for yemen intensifies. i'm lauren taylor, this is al jazeera live from london. also coming up: sudan's president casts his vote in an election boycotted by the main opposition parties. his legacy can be seen every day.