Eva Moskowitz’s Harlem Success Academy Charter chain won the Broad award for its high test scores a few days ago.
The next day, news broke that the mother of a child in fourth grade in a Success Academy Charter School in Brooklyn was banned from the school because she used the word “damn” in the presence of children.
“Latasha Battle feared the banishment by Success Academy of Cobble Hill was going to keep her from attending her son’s fourth-grade graduation Wednesday. She said security guards at the Baltic St. school told her they were instructed to call the police if she showed up.
“Enter the Daily News.
“After a reporter raised questions about the apology demand on Tuesday, Success Academy officials backed down. They told Battle she would be allowed to attend.
“The exile began a few weeks back when Battle and other parents and children were stuck standing outside the school in a downpour because the school doesn’t open the building until 7:35 a.m. sharp.
“When the doors finally opened, she admits that she angrily said, “It’s a damn shame the school made these kids stand in the pouring rain.”
“That apparently infuriated Principal Brittany Davis-Roberti, who within hours fired off a caustic letter to Battle with the tone of an adult chiding a child.
“The letter notified Battle she was no longer allowed on school grounds “until you schedule an appointment with me to apologize for your behavior and pledge that it will never happen again.”
“Davis-Roberti then suggested Battle might want to withdraw her children from the school, writing, “We know you can also make the choice not to adhere and not to enroll your child at our school.”
“For weeks, Battle, 40, had to pick up her son, Joshua, 10, and his twin sister, Jada at the school’s front entrance. All the other students leave through the school yard.
“Battle will be at the graduation, but there won’t be a mea culpa.
“I’m not going to apologize for anything,” she said. “I’m disgusted by this whole situation.”
The mother Latasha Battle announced that she is removing her children from Success Academy. She refuses to apologize to the principal.
The overtones of racism and classism are obvious. The mother is black; the principal who demands an apology is white.
Here is the principal’s bio on the SA website:
“Brittany Davis-Roberti Originally from Portland, Oregon, Brittany graduated with honors from the University of Washington, where she played Division 1 soccer and majored in international studies. She then spent two years with Teach for America. Brittany also holds a master’s degree in teaching from the Relay Graduate School of Education, where she graduated with distinction. Joining the Success Academy team, Brittany taught kindergarten and first grade at SA Harlem 5 and then became the Leadership Resident at SA Bed-Stuy 1. Brittany is deeply invested in bringing a quality education to all scholars, and she is thrilled to bring her commitment to joy and excellence for all to the community of SA Cobble Hill.”
Diane Ravitch's blog 