A group of parents at Eva Moskowitz’s New $68 Million flagship Success Academy don’t like the boot camp discipline and heavy homework nightly.
“Moskowitz’s heavily hyped Success Academy Hudson Yards Middle School, which so far enrolls about 200 kids in grades five and six, is meant to be a model for her to share her education gospel with schools from around the world through a new Education Institute that was launched at the school in June.
“But already Moskowitz has encountered some difficulties.
“An anonymous group of parents at the school has sent scathing letters to Moskowitz and Hudson Yards Principal Malik Russell that decry what they call draconian disciplinary tactics.
“The parents charge Russell gives detention for minor infractions such as failing to clasp their hands, failing to make eye contact and inadvertently breaking wind in class.
“It’s like a military-style boot camp,” said one of the parents, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation.
“The kids have two hours of homework a night,” the parent added. “They don’t have time for playdates, they have no time for a life.”
As Trump would say, “they knew what they signed up for.” Draconian discipline.
As Betsy DeVos would say, “Get out and make another choice.”
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Yeah, and y’know, when I joined the Marines I couldn’t believe we had to be up at 4 in the morning to run 10 miles and then do an hour of calisthenics followed by a full day of training.
Okay, okay, so I never joined the Marines. But if I did, it’s not like I’d have room to complain because it’s not like the Marines are shy about what’s involved in boot camp. In fact, many people who join the Marines join for exactly that reason.
I would completely agree that Eva’s “discipline” and other practices are abusive, but what exactly were these parents expecting when they enrolled their kids? That’s what Eva is famous for. I actually have to give her some kudos for not changing her ways for the snowflake children of her new affluent clientele.
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Oh she changed her ways for the snowflake children.
Why do you think they are suddenly complaining? Those children have aged into middle school. Previously she opened one specific out of district middle school so that the snowflake children of upper west could continue to be taught in the manner befitting snowflakes.
But then she opened this larger middle school. What’s unclear is whether she shipped all the kids from the “snowflake” elementary schools to this middle school or if she is also allowing some of the kids from the high poverty schools to be in middle school with them at their fancy new digs.
And what’s also unclear is whether this principal — trained at one of the high poverty schools — was ever told he was supposed to treat the snowflakes with the respect that their parents’ college education meant that they deserved and not like the kids at the high poverty schools.
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The Marines, huh? Military precision and obedience? I wonder what violence and bloodshed these 10 year olds are preparing for. Who are they going to invade?
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Did someone put a gun to these parents heads and make them enroll their kids there?
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“Heavily hyped” is how the piece describes the school and that is certainly true.
They believed the ad campaign, which is, after all, the point of ad campaigns. That’s the paid advertising. In addition to the ed reform and politician promotions.
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I guess you could say about the parents,”The knew what they were getting into when they signed up.”
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They shame kindergartener for getting answer wrongs. They are breeding a school of future bullies. This is a school where parents who don’t know any better or have no options other than the local PS. The way you can find out if this school really works is by seeing how many students get into NYC Specialized Hign Schools. That’s the proof. But of course they don’t want students to leave.
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If the proof of how well a school is doing is whether its graduates get into a specialized high school, then the entire NYC DOE should be shut down and dissolved. Only about 6% of its eighth graders qualify, the vast majority of those white and Asian, and 60% or so of the eighth graders don’t even bother to test.
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Right. The proof should be how many of the families who win the lottery remain in the school.
And by that standard, Success Academy is one of the worst charter networks around, despite being one of the richest.
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The majority of public middle schools in NYC do not have CEOs that are constantly blowing their own horn and continually making claims of academic superiority. Eva’s kids are “academic scholars” after all, no?
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Check out how shows that even supposed “winners” of the “Success Academy” lottery have absolutely no guarantee of admittance: (i.e., if your kid’s special ed with and IEP, forget it!_
JAYBEE SMALLEY: “My name is Jaybee Smalley. I’m a parent, yes. I have two children with special needs. I have one child who I applied to the Harlem Success Academy through the lottery process to see if she could be… would be accepted.
“When she WAS accepted through the lottery, I reached out to them (Harlem Success Academy) before I attended any sort of a orientation to see if they would be able to accommodate her I.E.P. She has a 12-to-1-to-1 I.E.P. for a year-round program, with four different related services.
“They didn’t respond to me through email at all.. and finally, after the second meeting had come, I called them —- I had a very difficult time getting through to them —- Before I could get the words ’12-to-1-to-1′ out of my mouth, they immediately told me that they would absolutely not be able to accommodate that sort of child in their school.”
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It doesn’t matter though- Eva has the luxury of a public school system ready to serve as a back-up.
Everyone can just attend a school tailor-made for each individual and it will all sort itself out in a completely equitable way, by market magic, and if it doesn’t, well there’s always the unfashionable “back up” public schools as a last resort.
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I’ve posted the parents’ full letter here: https://nycpublicschoolparents.blogspot.com/2017/10/hudson-yards-success-charter-parents-to.html The building also houses their teacher training institute, and the school is supposed to be a “lab school” for that institute.
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Leonie, my theory is that most of the parents complaining are the affluent ones who came from Success Academy Cobble Hill or Union Square or the other Success Academy schools that specifically cater to affluent families and have very few at-risk students. Do you know if that is true?
If so, it supports my belief that Success Academy has always treated the students of affluent parents with kid gloves — Success Academy Lite — because SA wanted affluent students with no severe learning disabilities to stay whereas the purpose of the harsh tactics used in their high poverty schools was because they could be targeted directly toward the children they wanted to get rid of.
Those parents seemed to be more than happy to look the other way as long as the kids being targeted weren’t theirs or their affluent friends. Maybe those parents didn’t mind those tactics being directed toward at-risk kids who left, since that meant no teacher time or financial resources had to be spent on their needs. Those parents were interviewed on camera defending the model Cobble Hill teacher who targeted another child but apparently treated their own with kindness and love and that’s all they cared about.
It is interesting that the man being attacked is an African-American principal who came from a corporate law/finance background. Apparently he is treating the entitled children the same way the at-risk kids have always been treated. Apparently he didn’t get the memo that the entitled parents are NOT to be treated in that way. No doubt he is being told in no uncertain terms that he is not to treat the entitled children as if they were at-risk kids. Will he shut up and do it?
I see that Eva Moskowitz is rushing to meet with these parents because she really wants them to know that she will do anything it takes to make sure their children are treated in the manner that their affluent and college educated parents expect them to be treated. We all know if this was one of the less affluent parents of the many at-risk African-American students who have been targeted over the years, they would be told in no uncertain terms “it is our way or the highway, so leave if you don’t like it.”
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Why not dispense electric collars at the door for an immediate consequence to not folding your hands? It worked great for Pavlov when he was training dogs.
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What’s it like to be a “C” student at a Success Academy? C students exist and if it’s a normal curve there’s quite a few of them. Tens of millions. They go on to lead perfectly productive lives. They all have to leave?
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If you are free to push out all kids who don’t meet your standards — free to simply flunk them over and over again even if they are 9 year old first graders because no one who oversees you cares one bit — you don’t have to worry about those students.
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Those poor kids. There will be adults tromping thru there observing them and “spreading Eva’s gospel” which may be the reason for the “draconian discipline” – can’t have any misbehavior in front of the VIP’s!
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It’s time for Moskowitz and her staff to receive inservice on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports: https://www.pbis.org/school/pbis-and-the-law. At least parents should become informed with PBIS so they know what to ask for and suggest a different approach to discipline.
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How about if we all give up on the idea or rewards or punishments? They are simply flip sides of the same coin (“if you eat your vegetables, then you can have dessert” is exactly the same as “if you don’t eat your vegetables, you can’t have dessert”), and both are simply used for power and control to train students to be obedient. How about if we look at methods that involve working with students rather than doing to students? http://www.alfiekohn.org/
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How about, “There is no dessert, so you probably should eat your vegetables.”
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I believe the correct acronym is BPISS.
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Duane! Missed you lately, buddy. Good to see you.
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Purposely did not do much interaction via internet on my trip out west to the NPE conference. Hung out with friends along the way and if not with them then enjoying the amazing landscapes the southwest and central west have to offer. Everyone should be so lucky to drive through those areas!
I also played Johnny Appleseed with my book stopping at various small town libraries along the way and giving them a copy of my book. Also gave it to anyone else who would tolerate my “talking education”.
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The full email from the parents indicates that they are disappointed largely because the middle school has been such a contrast to their positive elementary school experiences, and they are primarily seeking a change in leadership.
This sort of thing happens regularly in NYC traditional district schools, and sometimes it even makes the papers.
https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Parents-Occupy-Central-Park-East-I-Elementary-School-East-Harlem-Protest-Principal-East-Harlem-418647443.html
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Yes, the “positive” experience they were given in their elementary school that made sure that the number of at-risk kids was kept to a minimum and they were treated differently than the kids in the SA schools with high numbers of at-risk kids.
Now they are complaining about a principal who was trained in a middle school where a high majority of kids are at-risk. And those parents demand that he not treat them the way those at-risk children are treated.
Uh oh. Will this principal fall on his sword and blame himself for not treating the affluent kids the way he should have known they deserved to be treated? Will he admit his mistake in believing that Success Academy treats rich kids like they do poor kids?
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Good for them.
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If you read the letter from the parents, HERE is the most incriminating word used.
“HYSA faculty broke our children’s spirit and erased their self confidence in less than 3 weeks.
Our children who once loved the SA, who were proud of being a part of a great school, rallied in Albany and other events, now simply no longer want to go to school.
Some of our children are getting physically sick, experiencing MELTDOWNS…….”
Meltdowns = acting out when you are the target of Success Academy teachers who use tactics designed to break your spirit because they want you to leave.
These parents just offered absolute proof that Success Academy’s teaching tactics cause kids to have “meltdowns” (i.e. act out). They offered absolute proof of what the Success Academy system has always been.
Everyone who heard Eva Moskowitz’ non-stop racist claims that the African-American kindergarten students who enroll in her high poverty schools just happen be exceedingly violent due to their violent natures and that’s why she suspends them so frequently already knew that she was a liar when she tried so hard to convince America that 20% or more of the African-American kindergarteners in some of her high poverty schools were violent and no one should question that.
But now we have absolute proof from parents I suspect are not the ones who have at-risk kids. They have stated publicly that the Success Academy system causes meltdowns with their kids.
When Eva Moskowitz meets with them, will she tell those parents that the meltdowns are just their naturally violent children acting out due to bad parenting or their own violent nature like she does when it is at-risk parents?
Somehow I doubt it. No doubt Moskowitz will give this principal his marching orders that the entitled parents’ children are to be treated with love and respect and those silly “infractions” are only important when you want to target a child and need a reason to punish and humiliate that kid, and are NOT to be used on high performing affluent children.
And any parent who signed that letter who have enabled this treatment this treatment when it is not their children should feel shame.
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Thank you. You articulated the hypocrisy inherent in treating students differently based upon their parents income.
All children deserve a supportive, nurturing learning environment. I have taught in upper middle class public schools and urban schools. Also, I have taught in traditional public schools and publically funded charter schools. There is no comparison. Charter schools can’t compete with public schools. Even publicly funded charter schools cut corners by hiring teachers with no experience who working on their alternative certification at the same time. Under staffing their special ed departments and gifted programs. They have no money for music, art, and dance programs. The administration is inexperienced and doesn’t know how to manage an education environment. Even the better charter schools are still a disaster. I wish I could be more positive about my experience as a former charter school teacher, but I have to tell the truth. Parents need to support the public schools in their neighborhood. You will have more control with a public school. Charter schools are corporations that must turn a profit—even the publicly funded ones. The superintendent is a CEO. The board constantly seeks out private investors who demand a return on their investment. Via constant testing, your child is turned into a data point that can be sliced, diced and repackaged into a derivative to be sold on Wall Street. Constantly testing students is not teaching and it’s a lost opportunity for deep, meaningful learning. There are no easy answers for creating the best education for our children—all of our children.
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The Success Academy franchise in question, Hudson Yards, is in a facility that cost $68 to purchase (and build? … I’m not sure):
https://www.wsj.com/articles/success-academy-to-pay-68-million-for-space-for-new-nyc-school-1481846960
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