Brooklyn Teacher Joshua Levine Helped 4th Graders Cheat On New York Testing
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
Brooklyn fourth-grade teacher Joshua Levine was found to have assisted students in cheating on New York state testing, The New York Post reports.
Levine is said to have supplied students with answers during testing after admitting he did not teach the material, according to records detailing the Department of Education’s Office of Special Investigations findings from the 2013-2015 school year. Levine faced no punishment for his cheating, only counseling, and still teaches at PS 116 in Bushwick.
The records, obtained by The Post, detail incidents reported by students like Levine pausing during testing to explain concepts he had not covered, such as when he stopped to teach them what a congruent shape was. During testing, Levine would reportedly even point to answers on students’ exams and say, “That’s wrong.”
“The allegation that Joshua Levine assisted students with the 2012 NYS Grade Math exam by improperly providing them with information and/or exam answers is substantiated,” the OSI wrote.
The Post reports that Levine is a tenured teacher at PS 116, making $91,455 a year. He has previously served on the school leadership team of the school.
“We treat academic misconduct seriously and take immediate disciplinary action as necessary. We have created an academic integrity task force to enhance training and support to ensure our policies are followed,” said DOE department spokesman Doug Cohen to The Post.
Levine joins the ranks of “dozens” of other city school staffers that were found guilty of cheating in the 2013-2015 school years.
Juliana Kaplan is the news intern at The Forward. Email her at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter, @julianamkaplan
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