Yesterday I wrote about Juan Gonzalez’s article on Success Academy, which was seeking a 50% increase in its management fee from the state, even though it has a surplus of $23.5 million and spent $3.4 million last year on marketing. The typical charter management organization in New York City has a management fee of 7%, but CEO Eva Moskowitz wanted to increase hers to 15%. Given her surplus, it is hard to see a case for “need,” especially in light of her fund-raising prowess and the presence of several well-heeled hedge fund managers on her board. Needless to say, she is handsomely compensated at a salary close to $400,000 a year.
So here is the update: yesterday, the SUNY Charter Institute gave her everything she asked for. Six new schools plus a 50% increase in her management fee, which will bring in many new millions of taxpayer dollars for her operation.
But there is more to the story. Today, the New York Times ran a story about the “co-location” of a Success Academy school with a New York City public school. (Co-location is a term of art that means that the NYC Department of Education gave free public space in a public school building to a private charter operator, saving the charter the cost of rent and utilities and crowding the kids in the public school out of their classrooms.)
The New York Times article is simply horrifying. The contrast between the Success Academy charter and P.S. 30 defines the meaning of “separate but equal” even though the kids may all be of one race. In one school, the kids get the best of everything. In the other, they struggle with whatever the NYC Department of Education is willing to supply. Some critics call the new system “academic apartheid.” The charter school has fewer students with disabilities. Its teachers work a 9 1/2 hour day, and they don’t last long. When Success Academy first arrived, P.S. 30 was making great strides and earning an A on its progress report. Now it has a D rating, a fact that Success Academy delights in retelling to the reporter.
This charter chain represents the competitive spirit that corporate reformers love. It flourishes by sucking the life out of public schools and killing them.
Diane
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Diane,
Can we get Gary Rubenstein to run a check on test scores, attrition rate for staff and students, percent of sped, percent of ELL, salaries for teacher, how many adminstrators at the school and at her management office beside herself. How much money comes from the state dept. of Ed, NYC, donations from her wealthy cronies?
Shouldn’t this all be public information? Has this school be open long enough to see if she is retaining ALL kids until the highest grade?
Why would she get all this extra money and free space? I am outraged that this could happen. Imagine being a teacher in the school that has to share the same space? How degrading!
Also, and more importantly, think about how being a student in the school that has to share the same space. It’s not just degrading, it is assault and battery on said student. If not A&B then at least criminal negligence. Now I’m no lawyer but what is going on is definitely wrong.
Duane, I’m in agreement. This is a form of child abuse: co-locations send a clear message: there are some students who deserve nice libraries and playgrounds, and others who don’t. How cruel.
I don’t live in NYC, so explain to me why they cannot share the entire facility and have the same furniture, playground, desks, etc? How can this happen?
Linda, my understanding is that while both schools share the same building, the charter is “entitled” to separate, and often better, facilities. This sets up competitive situation, where you might have parents and schools in the same community fighting over resources.
It’s classic divide and conquer. Some parents might be thrilled their child gets state of the art equipment, (but not necessarily a state-of-the-art teaching staff– turnover is high, the teachers can be quite inexperienced) and fight for “choice.”
There are savvy parents who have caught on to this scam, who realize that communities need to stick together, for the sake of all children.
A good resource is the GEM movie, which includes documentary footage of a Brooklyn co-location, not to mention interviews with parent-activists who can’t be fooled.
http://www.waitingforsupermantruth.org/
Unbelievable and horrifying…..what will it take to make sure all are informed and when is Bloomberg gone for good?
I posted to replies earlier, but for some reason, they didn’t post.
I think the NYC DOE is in a lose-lose situation. The charter school will be applauded for embracing the latest technology and techniques. However, if a traditional school were to adopt the same technologies, it would be seen as waste. Because, you know, “back in the 1960s, all we had was a chalkboard and we turned out fine.”
Education Week sent an email invitation to me. Capital Roundtable is offering a Master Class…For Profit Education Private Equity Conference for 2012. July…. New York City ..ONE day for an early bird discount of $995.00.
IF there is any doubt about the push to privitize our system this should put that doubt to rest.. This is huge.
Capitalroundtable.com should have the details….
If these investors capture the Charter market and States don’t have good laws in place NOW that enable them to approve,evaluate and shut them down when necessary, we will be in deeper trouble than we are now.
Local control is being undercut.
Wow! Where in NYC? Citizens, parents, students and teachers should protest…sell cupcakes outside for school supplies. Now thy are not even trying to hide their motives. You really can’t make this stuff up anymore..
July 26 2012. The only location they mention at the bottom of the pamphlet is , PRIVATE CLUB IN MIDTOWN MANHATTAN. I suppose you need to register to be given the exact address. Go to Capitalroundtable.com to access the info.