Bangladeshi father and son’s plan to destroy New York’s education system

Noman Sabit: Teachers and students are still facing various troubles from the incident that happened 12 years ago. In the midst of the cheating scandal investigation, Stuyvesant High School principal Stanley Teitel resigned. In 2012, So-called journalist Najmul Ahsan’s son Nayeem Ahsan was forced to transfer from the school for helping about 100 Stuyvesant High School students cheat on exams.

According to a report, Stuyvesant High School’s cheating student nicknamed 'Stuy cheater' Nayeem Ahsan helped nearly 100 students cheat on last month’s Regents exams. But his father, Najmul Ahsan, falsely claimed there were reasons behind it.

Najmul Ahsan told the New York Post that his son was compelled to cheat because of personal pressures. He explained that Nayeem fell behind in his studies after a recent cancer scare and a robbery at an Astoria train station last month. 'There is a reason he did this. While I don’t agree with what he did, I understand why he did it,' Najmul Ahsan told the paper. 'As a father, I stand by my son.'

He further suggested that his son was the recipient of texted answer sheets, not the provider, despite being a good student. As brilliant as my son is, this was very foolish of him. It’s an extremely unfortunate incident, he said.

However, students and teachers told the New York Post that 16-year-old Nayeem Ahsan was the ringleader of the cheating circle. 'This kid prided himself on doing this sort of thing. He’s been doing it for a long time, said 16-year-old junior Catalina Piccato. He’s been lamenting getting caught on Facebook.

On June 18, Nayeem was caught texting answers during the Spanish Regents exam. Later, Principal Stanley Teitel checked his text messages and found answers to three other exams.

According to the New York Post, the junior student was forced to transfer to another school. In a letter to parents, Teitel wrote, 'As principal, I find this very disturbing. I view this as a serious breach of integrity and hope you will talk with your child about the importance of remaining honest and preserving their academic goals at Stuyvesant and beyond.'

Stuyvesant Cheating Scandal: New York Magazine’s Report on Nayeem Ahsan

At that time, New York Magazine published an in-depth profile of Nayeem Ahsan, the 16-year-old Stuyvesant High School student at the center of the scandal.

Cheating incident: Last June, school officials caught Nayeem using his cell phone to help dozens of students cheat on the Regents exams. These tests are mandatory before graduation. Afterward, the city launched an investigation, suspended several students, and the principal resigned.

Doubts about Principal Zhang’s statement: Principal Jie Zhang claimed the cheating was an isolated incident. But New York Magazine’s reporting and parents’ and students’ accounts suggest otherwise, saying cheating at Stuyvesant was far more widespread.

Nayeem’s methods and school environment: The report said Nayeem regularly shared homework answers, obtained old tests, and even sent classmates entire exam booklets by phone. Nayeem explained that Stuyvesant’s competitive environment pushed students to game the system. 'Teachers often didn’t even check homework,' he said, adding that many new tests were 75 percent identical to old ones.

Teachers’ role and student pressure: In one biology class, the teacher promised to raise everyone’s grades by three points if they got every answer right on a final assignment. Although Nayeem was caught sharing his answers online, the teacher did not report him.

Students said the pressure was immense, even for a single extra point. Valedictorian Vinay Mayar, in his 2012 graduation speech, described Stuyvesant as 'a volatile mix of strong-minded people' and listed behaviors such as copying homework in hallways, sneaking out during free periods, and 'widespread Facebook cheating.'

Nayeem’s statement: Nayeem told the magazine he viewed the cheating ring as an opportunity to help struggling classmates and receive help in return. He hoped the Department of Education would allow him to return to Stuyvesant. His expulsion was not final, and he delayed enrolling elsewhere.

Crackdown: In response, Stuyvesant began a crackdown on phones and technology—17 cell phones were seized in the first two days of the school year. Principal Zhang also required students to sign an 'academic honesty policy' and urged the student government to draft an 'honor code.'

Resignation of Stuyvesant High School Principal Stanley Teitel

Amid an investigation into a cheating scandal, long-time principal of prestigious Stuyvesant High School, Stanley Teitel, has resigned while city authorities continue to probe his handling of the high-profile case.

The scandal, revealed by the Daily News in June 2018, involved 71 students— all but one of whom were caught exchanging answers via text messages during state and citywide exams.

In a letter posted on the school’s website Friday afternoon, Principal Stan Teitel announced that he would retire on September 1 and 'devote my energy to my family and personal endeavors.'

“Thank you to the Stuyvesant community for all of the satisfaction you have afforded me over the past twenty-nine years,” wrote Teitel, who had served as principal for 13 years. “It was a genuine pleasure to have served you.”

The Department of Education said it would not comment on whether Teitel’s resignation was connected to the ongoing investigation of him and other administrators.

The agency completed its investigation into student misconduct last month. Among them, six students — including 16-year-old ringleader Nayeem Ahsan — face suspensions for their actions.

Other students received lighter penalties, including being barred from holding leadership positions at the school next fall and prohibited from leaving campus for lunch.

The majority of those involved are juniors, all of whom will be required to retake either the citywide Spanish exam or the U.S. History, English, or Physics Regents.

Stuyvesant Parents’ Association co-president Peter Galasinao described Teitel as 'well respected by students, teachers, and parents alike.'

'I am saddened,' Galasinao said. 'He will be missed, as he was an effective principal and leader at Stuyvesant.'