The special commissioner of investigation for the New York City schools has accused state officials of failing to cooperate with an investigation into an alleged teacher-test scam.
In a March 22 report, Richard J. Condon says that the New York state education department failed to help with the investigation until subpoenas were issued. The report faults the city’s education department for what Mr. Condon says were lapses in identification-card procedures that allowed the alleged scam to take place.
Wayne Brightly, a teacher at Middle School 142 in the Bronx, was arrested Feb. 15 on charges of coercing a formerly homeless person to take a certification exam for him last July. Mr. Brightly had a history of failing the social studies certification exam, officials said.
Mr. Brightly allegedly created a fraudulent identification card with his name and address and a photograph of the fraudulent test-taker.
Michael Best, the general counsel for the city’s education department, said in a statement that the incident was “only a single case involving one teacher,” and that the department was taking steps to prevent similar schemes.
Jonathan Burman, a spokesman for the state education department, said state officials cooperated “in a timely way” with the probe and turned over documents.
Mr. Brightly is scheduled to appear in Kings County Criminal Court on April 14. He has pleaded not guilty.
