Suspense Builds Over Eva’s Contract to Provide Pre-K

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1. Laura Manning says:

   February 16, 2016 at 4:05 pm

   Even the names of these programs are Newspeak – shades of 1984.

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2. Liz says:

   February 16, 2016 at 4:52 pm

   What punishment does a pre-K student get for a wrong answer in Eva’s Evil Empire? An electric shock?

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3. Paula says:

   February 16, 2016 at 6:06 pm

   Yes, it’s simple, no accountability, no money. After viewing the video, I’d say no money for her schools at all.

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4. Donna says:

   February 16, 2016 at 6:58 pm

   All the charters should become private. You want your kid there? Pay tuition. I’m tired of paying for charters. I don’t want to pay for vouchers either. Eva gets enough donations that she could probably afford to let kids attend for free. Lets have her go that route. If the 1% want to be benefactors of education, let them provide it via their charter schools, rather than “invest” for a return on their investments, while public schools suffer.

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5. Jack says:

   February 22, 2016 at 11:11 am

   The basic “creaming” strategy that Eva employs is this:

   STEP 1) Make a list of suspension-worthy infractions that is ridiculously long, arbitrary and all-inclusive, a list that includes minor, trivial transgressions as “not being in a ready-to-learn” position.

   (In the COMMENT’s section to the John Merrow article on the SUCCESS ACADEMY infractions list, a military veteran wrote in and said,

   “I was a military officer, 1967-69 and we did not experience disciplinary processes as asinine as these. In my book manuscript, I produce a memorandum of the policies of Democracy Prep (charter chain), which are even worse.

   “Utterly shameful.” )

   STEP 2) Identify various undesirable students who are in undesirable categories … in other words, kids who won’t score as high on standardized tests, no matter how many hundreds of hours of mindless test prep to which they are subjected, or kids who are expensive to educate, if mandatory guidelines for Special Ed. are followed—

   a) undesirable because they’re Special Ed, i.e. have innate disabilities that require expensive, time-consuming, and labor-intensive intervention — mandated smaller class sized; teachers with advanced certification; regular I.E.P meetings with an I.E.P. team composed of teacher, social worker, adminstrator, psychologists, etc.

   b) undesirable because they come from challenging backgrounds — homeless kids, foster care, etc. — and have no parents that can fulfill Success Academy’s demanding parental involvement;

   c) undesirable act out through no fault of their own — an innate inability to sit still in the same position for long periods of time due to ADD, ADHID, etc.

   d) undesirable because they are brand new to English, and there’s no one in the home who speaks English.

   … the list goes. Indeed, the SUCCESS ACADEMY HANDBOOK (BELOW) says:

   “Please keep in mind that the list of unacceptable conduct and consequences is not exhaustive. Teachers and staff can supplement this Code of Conduct with their own rules for classes and events.”

   STEP 3) Use the suspension-worthy infractions list created earlier — that ridiculously long and arbitrary list — so that you can easily target and justify the “counseling out” …

   “It’s in our handbook right here, the one we gave you when your child first started here. That’s why we suspended your child. Both you and your child knew the rules. If you don’t like it, leave… and go to one of the public schools that are being starved of funding to fund this school.”

   Again, the handbook even says the list is “not exhaustive”, and a teacher, on her own, can arbitrarily add to it as she wishes.

   4) Keep suspending the until the parent just gives up in frustration, and removes the child from the school:

   —————–

   John Merrow actually got a copy of the Success Academy’s suspension-worthy list, and wrote about it here:

   The Rules at Success Academies

   ——————————————–
   JOHN MERROW: “Below you will find, verbatim, the disciplinary code for Success Academies, taken from the Success Academies handbook, which is distributed to all parents and perhaps others. I discussed aspects of the rule book in my interview with Success Academies founder and CEO Eva Moskowitz.

   (If you missed the NewsHour segment when it was broadcast on October 12th, you can find it here:

   The Rules at Success Academies

   
   —————————————————

   When you read this list, keep in mind that this list currently applies to Kindergartners — 5 & 6 year-olds (!!!) , or as young as 4 (!!!), if the child has a late birthday.)

   Should Eva’s Pre-K program be approved and funded — even though Eva refuses sign any agreement that would include any outside oversight of the school or of lists like the one below — this will then apply to Pre-K students — 4 & 5 year-olds (!!!), or as young as 3 (!!!), if the child has a late birthday.

   Without further ado, here’s the list: (thanks to John Merrow)
   ————————————————————————————–
   ————————————————————————————–
   “1. DISCIPLINE:

   “1. VIOLATIONS

   “Anytime a scholar violates school or classroom rules or policies, it is considered a behavior infraction. Behavior infractions include, but are not limited to:

   — Non-compliance with the school dress code
   — Non-compliance with the school attendance policy
   — Non-compliance with the code of conduct

   – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

   “1. VIOLENCE and AGGRESSION

   “We must ensure that our scholars are safe at all times in our schools. Success Academy has a zero-tolerance approach when it comes to aggressive or violent conduct that puts the safety of our scholars or staff in jeopardy.

   “In the classroom, we teach our scholars strategies to peacefully handle disagreements. We teach them that violence is never the solution. Scholars who engage in aggressive or violent conduct will be suspended. Scholars who hit because “he hit me first” will also be suspended.

   – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

   “1. SUSPENSIONS and EXPULSION

   “Scholars who repeatedly disregard directions, compromise the safety of others, or violate our policies may be suspended.

   “A short-term suspension refers to the removal of a scholar from the school for disciplinary reasons for a period of five days or fewer. A long-term suspension refers to the removal of a scholar for disciplinary reasons for a period of more than five days. Expulsion refers to the permanent removal of scholar from school for disciplinary reasons.

   “If your scholar is suspended, a member of the school leadership team will call to inform you. You will receive a suspension letter at pick up or within 24 hours. You should make arrangements with the school for mandatory alternative instruction for your scholar during his or her suspension.

   – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

   “1. DISCIPLINARY POLICY and CODE OF CONDUCT

   “In order to establish and maintain school culture, the following Code of Conduct contains a list of possible infractions and potential consequences. Please keep in mind that the list of unacceptable conduct and consequences is not exhaustive. Teachers and staff can supplement this Code of Conduct with their own rules for classes and events.

   “In addition, violations of the Code of Conduct and resulting consequences are subject to the discretion of the Principal and may be adjusted accordingly. A scholar’s prior conduct and his or her disciplinary history may be factors in determining the appropriate consequence for an infraction.

   “The Code of Conduct will be enforced at all times. Scholars must adhere to the Code of Conduct when at school on school grounds, participating in a school sponsored activity, and walking to or from, waiting for, or riding on public transportation to and from school or a school-sponsored activity. Serious misconduct outside of the school is considered a school disciplinary offense when the misconduct or the scholar’s continued presence at the school has or would have a significant detrimental effect on the school and/or has created or would create a risk of substantial disruption to the work of the school.

   – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

   “CODE OF CONDUCT:

   “LEVEL 1 INFRACTIONS

   — Slouching / failing to be in “Ready to Succeed” position (SPORT or Magic 5 position)
   — Calling out an answer
   — Chewing gum or bringing candy to school
   — Minor disrespectful behavior

   – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

   “RANGE OF SCHOOL RESPONSES, INTERVENTIONS, & CONSEQUENCES for LEVEL 1 INFRACTIONS

   — Warning/reprimand by school staff
   — Scholar is reminded of appropriate behavior and task at hand
   — Scholar is reminded of what he/she is like at his/her best and of past good behavior
   — Scholar is reminded of past poor decisions and provided with productive alternatives/choices that should be made
   — Scholar is given a non-verbal warning
   — Scholar is given a verbal warning

   – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

   ” LEVEL 2 INFRACTIONS

   — Committing a Level 1 Infraction after intervention

   — Verbally or physically dishonoring a fellow scholar (which includes, but is not limited to, teasing, name calling, being rude, mocking, etc.)

   — Verbally or physically dishonoring faculty, staff, or other Success Academy community members (which includes, but is not limited to, being rude, disobeying instructions, etc.)

   — Using school equipment (e.g. computers, faxes, phones) without permission

   — Bringing electronic equipment to school of any kind without school authorization (which includes, but is not limited to, cell phones, Game Boys, iPods, headphones, pagers, radios, etc.)

   — Unauthorized possession or use of a cell phone

   — Failing to follow directions

   — Failing to complete work

   — Being off-task

   — Arriving late to school/class and/or violating school attendance policy

   — Violating the Dress Code

   — Being unprepared for class (which includes, but is not limited to, failing to bring a pencil, not completing homework, etc.)

   — Wearing clothing or other items that are unsafe or disruptive to the educational process

   — Failure to obtain signatures for required assignments

   — Disrupting class or educational process in any way at any time (which includes, but is not limited to, making excessive noise in a classroom, failing to participate, refusing to work with partners, etc.)

   — Leaving the recess area during recess without permission from an authorized adult

   — Being in an off-limits location without permission

   — Failing to be in one’s assigned place on school premises

   — Getting out of one’s seat without permission at any point during the school day

   — Going to the bathroom without permission or at undesignated times

   — Making noise in the hallways, in the auditorium, or any general building space without permission

   — Inappropriate noise levels in lunchroom, gym, and during arrival and dismissal

   — Engaging in unsafe behavior, failing to use recess equipment properly, or failing to follow directions during recess

   — Excluding classmates in games/activities during recess

   — Littering on school grounds

   – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

   “RANGE OF SCHOOL RESPONSES, INTERVENTIONS, & CONSEQUENCES for LEVEL 2 INFRACTIONS

   — Scholar is reminded of appropriate behavior and task at hand
   — Scholar is given a verbal warning
   — Removal from classroom for ”Time Out” outside of the classroom (administrator’s office)
   — Student-Teacher-Parent conference
   — Student-Parent-Administrator Conference
   — In-school disciplinary action (which includes, but is not limited to, exclusion from recess, communal lunch, enrichment activities, sports, school events, trips, or activities)
   — Verbal or written apology to community
   — In-school suspension (possibly immediate) in a buddy classroom
   — Out-of-school suspension (possibly immediate)
   — Other consequences/responses deemed appropriate by school (including, but not limited to, extended suspension for a fixed period or expulsion)

   – – – – – – – – – – – –

   “LEVEL 3 INFRACTIONS:

   — Committing a Level 2 Infraction after intervention

   — Dishonoring a fellow scholar using profanity, racial slurs, or any foul or discriminatory language

   — Dishonoring a faculty, staff, or other Success Academy community member using profanity, racial slurs, or any foul/discriminatory language

   — Disobeying or defying school staff or any school authority/personnel

   — Using profane, obscene, lewd, abusive, or discriminatory language or gestures in any context (which includes, but is not limited to, slurs based upon race, ethnicity, color, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or disability)

   — Posting or distributing inappropriate materials (which includes, but is not limited to, unauthorized materials, defamatory or libelous materials, or threatening materials)

   — Violating the school’s Technology and Social Media Acceptable Use Policy (which includes, but is not limited to, using the Internet for purposes not related to school/educational purposes or which result in security/privacy violations)

   — Forgery of any kind

   — Lying or providing false or misleading information to school personnel

   — Engaging in any academic dishonesty (which includes, but is not limited to, cheating, plagiarizing, copying another’s work, or colluding/fraudulent collaboration without expressed permission from a school authority)

   — Tampering with school records or school documents/materials by any method

   — Falsely activating a fire alarm or other disaster alarm

   — Making threats of any kind

   — Claiming to possess a weapon

   — Misusing other people’s property

   — Vandalizing school property or property belonging to staff, scholars, or others (which includes, but is not limited to, writing on desks, writing on school books, damaging property, etc.)

   — Stealing or knowingly possessing property belonging to another person without proper authorization

   — Smoking

   — Gambling

   — Throwing any objects

   — Engaging in inappropriate or unwanted physical contact

   — Fighting or engaging in physically aggressive behavior of any kind (which includes, but is not limited to, play fighting, horsing around, shoving, pushing, or any unwanted or aggressive physical contact)

   — Leaving class, school-related activity, or school premises without school authorization

   — Repeatedly failing to attend class, school, or any school activity or event and/or repeatedly violating school attendance policy

   – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

   “RANGE OF SCHOOL RESPONSES, INTERVENTIONS, & CONSEQUENCES for LEVEL 3 INFRACTIONS

   — Sent to principal/school administrator

   — Loss of classroom/school privileges

   — Additional assignments which require scholar to reflect on behavior in writing or orally (depending on grade)

   — Call home to parents/guardians

   — Removal from classroom or “Time Out” outside of the classroom (administrator’s office)

   — Student-Parent-Administrator Conference

   — In-School disciplinary action (which includes, but is not limited to, exclusion from recess, communal lunch, enrichment activities, sports, school events, trips, or activities)

   — Verbal or written apology to community

   — Staying after school or coming in on Saturdays

   — In-school suspension (possibly immediate) in a buddy classroom

   — Out-of-school suspension (possibly immediate)

   — Other consequences/responses deemed appropriate by school (including, but not limited to, extended suspension for a fixed period)

   — Expulsion

   – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

   “LEVEL 4 INFRACTIONS

   — Committing a Level 3 Infraction after intervention

   — Repeated in-school and/or out-of-school suspensions

   — Exhibiting blatant and repeated disrespect for school code, policies, community, or culture

   — Engaging in gang-related behavior (which includes, but is not limited to, wearing gang apparel, making gestures, or signs)

   — Destroying or attempting to destroy school property

   — Engaging in intimidation, bullying, harassment, coercion, or extortion or threatening violence, injury, or harm to others (empty or real) or stalking or seeking to coerce

   — Engaging in behavior that creates a substantial risk of or results in injury/assault against any member of the school community

   — Engaging in sexual, racial, or any other type of harassment

   — Possessing, transferring, or using drugs, alcohol, or controlled substances

   — Participating in an incident of group violence

   — Possessing a weapon

   — Charged with or convicted of a felony

   – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

   “RANGE OF SCHOOL RESPONSES, INTERVENTIONS, & CONSEQUENCES for LEVEL 4 INFRACTIONS

   — Sent to principal/school administrator

   — Loss of classroom/school privileges

   — Additional assignments that require scholar to reflect on behavior in writing or orally (depending on grade)

   — Call home to parents/guardians

   — Removal from classroom or “Time Out” outside of the classroom (administrator’s office)

   — Student-Parent-Administrator Conference

   — In-school disciplinary action (which includes, but is not limited to, exclusion from recess, communal lunch, enrichment activities, sports, school events, trips, or activities)

   — Verbal or written apology to community
   — Staying after school or coming in on Saturdays
   — In-school suspension (possibly immediate) in a buddy classroom
   — Out-of-school suspension (possibly immediate)
   — Other consequences/responses deemed appropriate by school (including, but not — limited to, extended suspension for a fixed period)

   — Expulsion
   ————————————————————————————–
   ————————————————————————————–

   The PDF of the relevant pages is here

   https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5mXKGS4xL6iVnlZMzIyWi05eHc/view
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