Democratic State Senator Sam Bell called for the removal of Achievement First management after news spread about a pattern of abusive behavior towards students.
Achievement First is based in Connecticut and practices “no excuses” discipline.
“Dismantling the Achievement First Rhode Island network needs to begin with removal of the Achievement First Corporation from any managerial involvement with the schools. Closure would be too disruptive to the students, and converting the schools into public schools is a better approach,” Bell told GoLocal.
Bell sites a range of issues, including physical abuse of students. in Rhode Island, Achievement First operates under the names Achievement First Iluminar Mayoral Academy and Achievement First Providence Mayoral Academy.
Bell’s demand comes at the same time that the Mayor of Providence is trying to expand the Achievement First chain in his city.
In January of this year, the head of Achievement First Amistad High School in New Haven was caught on video shoving a student. This was one of a number of episodes linking faculty to physical contact with students.
The defenders of the chain say that Achievement First gets high test scores, and it appears that those scores matter more than abusive adults manhandling students.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Any states that allow privatizers in must realize that they are not getting an equal service from a private charter school. In fact, charter schools are generally operated by business people that have little to no understanding of how to effectively manage students and little to no understanding of how to implement curriculum. The city or state are substituting a professional public service for one generally operated by amateurs. This lack of training and experience explains why so many private charters fail and close, and some never get off the ground. Public schools are community schools that offer stability, appropriate curricula and professionally trained teachers “No excuses” discipline is a perfect example of an antiquated idea that is a remnant of the legacy of slavery. The Achievement First private charter chain has been charged repeatedly with abusive practice in multiple markets.
Once the privatizers set up shop, they will continuously seek to expand, often not based on the merit of the school, but because they are a business that seeks “new markets.” Education should be about what students need, not corporations.
Privatizers expand when they buy legislators
AMEN, Diane. So true. Thank you for your comment.
Watch The Inconvenient Truth Behind Waiting for Spuperman
Two of the mothers who tell their story had children in Achievement First which was housed at my school for several years. The school was appealing.
Appealing or appalling?
The whole issue is very heated. Unfortunately, we don’t feel this heat in TN.
Great video, btw. Very satisfying to hear and see a great number of people who are oin the side of public education, and see so clearly the issues.
It’s unbelievable what charter schools (in this case, one Moscowitz’s school) are allowed top do: they can force public schools to give up their space and “colocate” to a basement.
Appalling, auto correct ugh.