Brooke Parker exposes sham of @CenturyFoundation report on "diversity by design" charter schools

the corporation was projected to receive a total of about $5.6 million dollars by 2016, with more than half of these funds to be provided by NYC taxpayers. ...charter school carpetbaggers attempted to exploit some of the fears of white parents moving into an area with public schools composed of mostly Black and Hispanic students.... For all their talk of diversity, their internal leaked “marketing plan” identified their primary targets in Williamsburg as “Middle/Upper income/predominantly White” and in Crown Heights, “middle/upper income" parents.....Brooke Parker

Exposing charter school scams is some of our favorite reading. I've known Brooke Parker for many years through our Williamsburg connections. She is relentless. Leonie publishes her latest on her blog.

Leonie writes:

Brooke Parker exposes sham of Century Foundation report on "diversity by design" charter schools via leaked Citizens of the World marketing plan and exorbitant fees..
Please share!

Here is Leonie's introduction on the blog:

Here is a column by Brooke Dunn Parker, Brooklyn parent activist, about a recent controversial report by the Century Foundation, which identified 125 charter schools that are supposedly “diverse by design” – though on the whole, most analysts find that charters have  had a segregating effect, according to the AP, NBC News, and the UCLA Civil Rights Project.

Moreover, this list of 125 schools was selected from 5,692 charter schools – only a tiny number.  The methodology is also questionable.  The authors identify these schools by analyzing their enrollment, websites and survey responses from school leaders.  Though the Century Foundation sent their survey about diversity to 971 charter schools, only 86 responded – which means that nearly 40 schools were put on the list even though the school leaders couldn’t be bothered to answer their survey.  
Several Success Academy charter schools were included on their list, including Success Academy Upper West, which has had multiple civil  rights complaints lodged by parents against it.  Finally, the report was financed by the Walton Foundation, the largest private funder of charter schools, who no doubt would like to whitewash their poor record of civil rights abuses.  Please read  the Network for Public Education and Schott Foundation report on how many charter schools violate students’ civil rights.

Check out Brooke’s dive into the issue, informed by her experience with one of the supposedly “diverse by design” charter networks highlighted in the report, Citizens of the World Charter Schools. Brooke has previously written about these schools on our blog, here and here.

 https://nycpublicschoolparents.blogspot.com/2018/06/brooke-parker-exposes-sham-of-century.html


Brooke Parker has fought and exposed Citizens of the World charter when they invaded Williamsburg, Brooklyn. They used Eva Moskowitz' husband, Eric Grannis. Ed Notes published a bunch of stuff on the family scam.

Here is one on Brooke I published back in 2012:

Eric Grannis, Eva Moskowitz husband.

WAGPOPS Brilliant Expose of Citizens of the World Charter Ponzi ...

https://ednotesonline.blogspot.com/2012/.../wagpops-brilliant-expose-of-citizerns.htm...

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We believe that there is a place in public education for charter schools, but Citizens of the World is bastardizing the original intent of charter schools. ...

Brooke left this comment on the role Eric Grannis played:
Eric Grannis didn’t start it, but he created an organization, Tapestry, that made introductions between the “community,” the charter network that already existed in California, and SUNY. Tapestry was designed to help open charters in North Brooklyn, a district where we already had the most charters outside of Harlem. Tapestry’s marketing led many of us to believe that they were particularly interested in getting white gentrifying families invested in opening charters for their kids. - Brooke Parker

and a few more ed notes pieces:

Community Outrage: What is Eva Moskowitz's husband Eric Grannis ...

https://ednotesonline.blogspot.com/2012/01/community-outrage-what-is-eva.html

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Jan 27, 2012 - There is so much going on around the Eva Moskowitz Success Charter invasion of Williamsburg (and Cobble Hill) that I could do 5 blogs a day.

Ed Notes Online: Eric Grannis (Eva Hubby) Charter Failure - Two ...

https://ednotesonline.blogspot.com/2017/.../eric-grannis-eva-hubby-charter-failure.ht...

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Dec 18, 2017 - Eva Moskowitz' was involved in the scheme early on, as Brooke Parker from WAGPOPS reports: Eric Grannis didn't start it, but he created an ...

Ed Notes Online: Trashing Citizens of the World Scam Charter ...

https://ednotesonline.blogspot.com/2013/.../trashing-citizens-of-world-scam-charter.ht...

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Trashing Citizens of the World Scam Charter Scheme. As registration is happening for citizens of the world (part of Eva Moskowitz empire), if you could circulate these negative articles and have everyone click on them, it would be very helpful. We need to let everyone know that there is significant opposition.

Ed Notes Online: Parents Opposed to Citizens of the World Charter ...

https://ednotesonline.blogspot.com/2012/12/parents-opposed-to-citizens-of-world.html

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Dec 5, 2012 - Parents Opposed to Citizens of the World Charter: Hundreds, Parents in Favor: 4. The NY State Dept. would allow the Hitler Youth Charter to breeze through and not only would they authorize the Ku Klux Klan Charter School for Racial Harmony but they would wash the sheets. -- Norm at charter hearing.

And here is a Daily News piece:

Charter school boss Eva Moskowitz's husband's group seeks to open ...

www.nydailynews.com/.../moskowitz-hubby-open-new-charter-schools-nabe-success-... Feb 27, 2012 - Group affiliated with Success head Eva Moskowitz's husband Eric Grannis is also looking to open a charter school in Williamsburg. (Bryan ...

Eric Grannis (Eva Hubby) Charter Failure - Two Citizens of the World charter schools will close

For those parents who were scammed and are now crying about the school's closing -- I hear some of them talking choice, choice, choice -- there are many choices in District 14 --- we were all warning everyone about citizens of the world.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2013

WSJ Reports on Citizens of the World Charter Underenrollment

The school's experience demonstrates that charter schools, which often say parents need more choices, can be stung when parents' decisions don't fall their way. It also bolsters opponents who say that, despite claims of long wait lists and tales of parents craving alternatives, there isn't as much demand for charter schools as supporters say... Lisa Fleisher, WSJ.

Lisa Fleisher often writes pieces that are fairly reported. This is another one. I can't think of another ed reporter who has brought up the point we often make about phony demand. Now if the ed press would do a FOIL on those supposed signatures charters use to claim demand.

[I was also pleased to see Lisa tweet some points of contention over the awful NY Times education editorial  - I'll try to recover them and add them to a follow-up piece later.]

One interesting point that Lisa doesn't mention is how few of the kids enrolled come from the neighborhood the school is located in -- I believe less than 5%. She does point out that kids come from as far away as Rockaway -- truly astounding when you think of the commute for little kids. I love that she gives recognition to Brooke Parker and WAGPOPS for the work they do in defending the local public schools in Williamsburg and Greenpoint.

Given that by hook or crook, Citizens of the World has managed to get close to their target, don't be surprised to see kids being dragged off the street -- and I bet there are some hidden incentives involved somewhere since so much is at stake.

Reported on ed notes:

https://ednotesonline.blogspot.com/2013/12/wsj-reports-on-citizens-of-world.html

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Dec 2, 2013 -
I remember very well the outrage when this charter came into town. Ed Notes covered the school extensively - see more links below. Eva Moskowitz' was involved in the scheme early on, as Brooke Parker from WAGPOPS reports:

Eric Grannis didn’t start it, but he created an organization, Tapestry, that made introductions between the “community,” the charter network that already existed in California, and SUNY. Tapestry was designed to help open charters in North Brooklyn, a district where we already had the most charters outside of Harlem. Tapestry’s marketing led many of us to believe that they were particularly interested in getting white gentrifying families invested in opening charters for their kids.

- Brooke Parker

Here are some ed notes links for background:

Search Results

Ed Notes Online: Trashing Citizens of the World Scam Charter ...

https://ednotesonline.blogspot.com/2013/.../trashing-citizens-of-world-scam-charter.ht...

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Trashing Citizens of the World Scam Charter Scheme. As registration is happening for citizens of the world (part of Eva Moskowitz empire), if you could circulate these negative articles and have everyone click on them, it would be very helpful. We need to let everyone know that there is significant opposition.

Ed Notes Online: Parents Opposed to Citizens of the World Charter ...

https://ednotesonline.blogspot.com/2012/12/parents-opposed-to-citizens-of-world.html

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Dec 5, 2012 - Parents Opposed to Citizens of the World Charter: Hundreds, Parents in Favor: 4. The NY State Dept. would allow the Hitler Youth Charter to breeze through and not only would they authorize the Ku Klux Klan Charter School for Racial Harmony but they would wash the sheets. -- Norm at charter hearing.

WAGPOPS Brilliant Expose of Citizens of the World Charter Ponzi ...

https://ednotesonline.blogspot.com/2012/.../wagpops-brilliant-expose-of-citizerns.htm...

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We believe that there is a place in public education for charter schools, but Citizens of the World is bastardizing the original intent of charter schools. ... The opinions expressed on EdNotesOnline are solely those of Norm Scott and are not to be taken as official positions (though Unity Caucus/New Action slugs will try to paint ...

Sandie Noyola, principal of my old school, invited the refugees:

PS147 Brooklyn is happy to welcome the students and their families. Thank you for your advocacy in the name of public education WAGPOPS.

Williamsburg and Greenpoint Parents for Our Public Schools (WAGPOPS)

December 15, 2017  · 

Here's an article on the closing of the two Citizens of the World Charter Schools. There are some links to remind everyone the various ways that we tried to close the school before families became invested and children would be hurt.

This is deja vu for our community. We already witnessed the closing of Beginning with Children Charter School and Ethical Community Charter School. Hopefully, SUNY (the charter school authorizers) will learn their lesson and stop forcing charters on communities.

Here is the Chalkbeat article -- don't you wish they actually linked to some background stuff from WAGPOPS 4 years ago?

https://www.chalkbeat.org/posts/ny/2017/12/15/two-citizens-of-the-world-charter-schools-will-close-at-the-end-of-this-year/

Citizens of the World Charter To Use Dead Souls To Bolster Enrollment in Effort to Stay Open

With the school threatened with closing due to low enrollment (as the so-called charter demand is once more exposed), Citizens of the World supporter Eric Grannis (the husband of Evil Moskowitz) is scouting local cemeteries for recruits.

State Ed Commissioner John King approved of the move. "The dead should not be excluded from the higher order skills gained from the Common Core."

The SUNY charter authorizing body also approved. "Once a charter we authorized has opened it assumes the properties of a black hole: public funds get sucked in but will never emerge due to the gravitational pull of the charter lobby."

James Merriman of the NY Charter School Center who has often said that if there's no demand for a charter, it will fail, said, "Until all the dead souls are given their right to choice the fat lady hasn't sung.  

Afterburn

For people not familiar with CWC they are LA-based. They came to NYC after being contacted by Eric Grannis, a long time charter supporter who is also married to Eva Moskwitz. Grannis has said he had been in contact with white, middle class parents in W'burg who had told him what they wanted in a school and that he then contacted CWC. The goal supposedly was to bring more diversity to charter schools, which many saw as a code word for bring more high achieving affluent kids to charters. Grannis supposedly has no official connection to CWC or the school.

James Merriman of the NY Charter School Ctr has often said that, if there's no demand for a charter, it will fail. Given there doesn't seem to be demand for this one, let's see if it's allowed to fail or if someone will pull a rabbit out of the hat.

Gail Robinson
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The reality is that charters are being rapidly expanded in NYC where DOE thinks they can find space for them into a public school building, NOT where there is real demand.

Yet another way in which the co-location policies of the DOE are completely off the mark and are driving bad policies.

This is why Eva has to spend millions on ads and promotional flyers, Democracy prep in Harlem had to send mailers to parents as far south as Lower Manhattan, Girls Prep offered cash rewards to people who recruited more students to the school, and COTW is now hugely under enrolled.
 
This is NOT parent choice at work, or even the free market -- but reflects the overriding preferences of those running the city and their wealthy cronies to maximize and facilitate the corporate takeover of our schools.

Leonie Haimson

IRS Investigates CWC Charters - Run by Eva Hubby Eric Grannis - Sign Petition to Stop Them From Opening

As soon as their non-profit status was granted, CWCS quietly used their power over the local NY schools' trustees to push through exorbitant "licensing agreements" that will funnel more than $3 million of tax dollars away from the New York children they were intended for and into the hands of a few wealthy executives of CWCS, a California corporation.

Another charter that skims 8% as a mismanagement fee.

There's a new petition taking off on Change.org, and we think you might be interested in signing it:

Attorney General Eric Schneiderman: Stop CWC schools from opening By Williamsburg Greenpoint Brooklyn, New York Sign the Petition We ask the Attorney General for an injunction to stop Citizens of the World Charter Schools, a network based out of California, from opening in Williamsburg and Crown Heights on September 9, 2013 because the IRS is currently investigating the organization for fraud. Citizens of the World Charter Schools (CWCS), a National chain of charter schools based out of California has been approved to open two schools in Brooklyn September 2013--despite the fact that CWCS is under IRS investigation for fraud. The IRS investigation puts both CWC NY schools at risk for closure after they open. This is not fair to either the families who enrolled in CWC NY schools or the tax payers who foot the bill. Why is the IRS investigating? • In 2011, the scandal ridden and now defunct California non-profit Wonder of Reading funneled all of it's money and resources, which were given to build libraries in public schools, into the creation of a new chain of charter schools, Citizens of the World. Both organizations are run by the exact same executives and board members. • CWCS was granted tax-exempt status as a charity by the IRS in 2012 on the grounds that they would provide grants to open new schools but NEVER charge the schools a fee for any rights or services. As soon as their non-profit status was granted, CWCS quietly used their power over the local NY schools' trustees to push through exorbitant "licensing agreements" that will funnel more than $3 million of tax dollars away from the New York children they were intended for and into the hands of a few wealthy executives of CWCS, a California corporation. • To date, no grants have been given to the NY schools, only loans. And the school budgets show that the schools will not offer food, a school nurse, or even a janitor. Parents have the right to know this critical information! Parents who applied to Citizens of the World schools Williamsburg and Crown Heights are not aware of either the IRS investigation or that their children will not be offered food. There has been significant opposition to Citizens of the World in the Williamsburg community since early 2012 when it was discovered that Citizens of the World had racially motivated marketing strategies and racial targets of 55% white for the CWC Williamsburg school.  Hundreds of parents protested the schools at the public hearings. Parents in CWC LA schools are complaining that their children are not receiving promised and required services, including English Language Learners and children with special needs. There were several incidents of neglect in CWC LA schools that led to a child passed out in her own vomit, a child beaten in the bathroom, and another child in a coma for five days. We believe that the CWC NY schools are predicated on a relationship with a corrupt organization. We also believe that the IRS investigation will bear fruit. We believe that Brooklyn children deserve better. Sign the Petition

WAGPOPS Has Partner in LAPOPS in Cross Country Battle Against Citizens of the World Charter

Eric Grannis (Eva's husband) should be strapped to a public school he is invading and have his liver eaten by buzzards (his heart has been gone a long time). The amazing Brooke Dunn has done it again and keeps doing it. See a previous item in Citizens of the World charter from Brooke at Norms Notes: Brooklyn Charter School Targets Rich, White Parent... as the Ed Deform so-called "civil rights issue of our times" support racist segregation policies while the major media is complicent  - or just too busy trying to find out where parent activists are sending their kids to school.

Many of you know that WAGPOPS! (Williamsburg and Greenpoint Parents: Our Public Schools!) has been fighting Los Angeles based Citizens of the World Charter Schools for the past year and a half.  The good news is that we have a sister organization, LAPOPS! (Los Angeles Parents: Our Public Schools!) in Los Angeles.  We've also developed partnerships with parents who attend Citizens of the World Charter Schools (CWC) in Hollywood (CWCH) and Silverlake (CWCSL).

We've amassed some unbelievable information (with documentation) regarding the schools themselves and the impact on NY for their expansion.

The LA schools are being asked to pay (retroactively as well) 1% of their per pupil funds for licensing, or the right to use the name "Citizens of the World," but here's the rub:  CWC NY schools will be forced to pay 3% of their per pupil funds for the same right to use the name "Citizens of the World," and that % will climb higher in future years - up to 8%!!!  This is NOT standard practice in NY Charters and is just for licensing.   Management and services are separate fees and percentages.

The licensing fee was only mentioned in a single sentence in the proposal to SUNY, and was not included in their submitted budgets, although it was mentioned in the SUNY recommendations to approve the charter.  I'm not sure if SUNY or the Regents are aware of this.  It's a pretty significant figure with millions of dollars funneled out of NY into CWC National. 

This is just the tip of the iceberg.  

CWC has been under-servicing ELLs in their LA schools, and have legal action pending against them from at least 3 families who's children with special needs almost died from negligence, one was found lying in a pool of her own vomit when she picked her child up form school (be sure to scroll to the end where the parents made the Board amend the minutes to include their testimony).  The negligent teacher from CWC SL was promoted to principal of the soon to be opened CWC Mar Vista!  You can't make this stuff up!

http://www.cwchollywood.org/docs/2-27-13%20CWCLA%20Board%20Meeting%20Minutes-updated%204-23.pdf . 

“When I arrived at the school approx 20 minutes later I discovered my daughter lying face down on the office floor, passed out and covered in her own vomit. The two individuals in the office at the time had no idea this had happened as they were occupied with photocopying behind the front desk.”

“The harsh reality of the situation is that if I was not in the front office my son would have died in the classroom.”

“I have been verbally requesting an IEP since the start of school and until February 7, I was ignored. Since this initial meeting on February 7 nothing has been resolved. In fact, my son has not been at school since he is not safe here.” 

The parents in their LA schools (CWC Hollywood, CWC Silverlake, and the soon to open CWC Mar Vista) were forced to consolidate to a "sole member" LA Board with the "sole member" being "CWC National."  This new National Board was made up of all the individuals from the scandal ridden Wonder of Reading (http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/NBC4-Extra---Book-Wars-Episode-Two.html ), notably Kriste Dragon, the former head of Wonder of Reading who folded the organization and funneled $2M into Citizens of the World, placing herself on the Board.  Dragon pulls the strings on all the Boards, and commands a salary of $240K while she lives in Atlanta.  Meanwhile, at the CWC NY "Meet the Principals" events, CWC staff is telling parents that they have a governance structure that is different from the LA schools, even though CWC NY will also be a "sole member" Board with CWC National as the sole member.

The CWC LA schools are financially unstable.  They're using money fundraised from CWC Hollywood to support the sustenance and opening of other schools against parents wishes, and have repeatedly been told by their outside management network that they are running out of funds.  

Finally, on top of 40-50 students leaving CWC SL in the middle of the year next year, CWC SL will be losing all but one teacher.  I've never heard of a teacher turnover rate like that, even at Success Academy!

We got some recent press coverage for CWC spending their resources targeting mostly white, affluent famillies: 

http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20130423/crown-heights/brooklyn-charter-school-targets-rich-white-parents-enrollment-plan-shows?cluster_id=177953&index=1&group_hood_id=73165

and

http://nycpublicschoolparents.blogspot.com/2013/04/citizens-of-what-world-recruiting.html

Any recommendations for next steps are much appreciated.

Best,

Brooke

Trashing Citizens of the World Scam Charter Scheme

As registration is happening for citizens of the world (part of Eva Moskowitz empire), if you could circulate these negative articles and have everyone click on them, it would be very helpful. We need to let everyone know that there is significant opposition.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/94382088/WAGPOPS-Letter-to-Suny-Opposing-Citizens-of-the-World-Charter-Schools
http://www.williamsburggreenpointschools.org/truth-about-charters/citizensoftheworldcharternewyork
http://thewgnews.com/2012/09/the-demise-of-public-education-mr-mrs-moskowitz-push-more-charters-on-williamburg/
http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20130129/greenpoint/parents-sue-state-for-approving-citizens-of-world-charter-school/slideshow/popup/336446
http://thediariesofalawstudent.blogspot.com/2012/05/citizens-of-world-charter-parent-choice.html
http://beatricesindante.blogspot.com/2012/05/wagpops-brilliant-expose-of-citizens-of.html
http://greenpointers.com/2013/01/31/charter-schools-and-wagpops/
http://ednotesonline.blogspot.com/2012/05/wagpops-brilliant-expose-of-citizerns.html
http://www.facebook.com/events/185195068267404/
http://www.scribd.com/doc/90106044/WAGPOPS-Defend-Public-Schools-from-Profit-Driven-Segregation
http://www.villagevoice.com/2013-01-30/news/Eva-Moskowitz-Bloomberg-Charter-Schools/
http://www.change.org/petitions/no-segregated-schools-in-williamsburg-greenpoint
http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20121206/williamsburg/locals-blast-charter-schools-proposed-co-location-williamsburg
http://nycpublicschoolparents.blogspot.com/2012/05/comments-on-applications-of-citizens-of.html
http://bayridgejournal.blogspot.com/2012/12/rally-against-citizens-of-world-charter.html
http://www.facebook.com/events/167687510021996/?_ft_=fbid.386935824718359
http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=576777532350915&id=112111438837256
http://ednotesonline.blogspot.com/2013/01/brooklyn-parents-in-williamsburggreenpo.html
http://nycpublicschoolparents.blogspot.com/2012/05/citizens-of-world-charter-parent-choice.html
http://ednotesonline.blogspot.com/2013/01/brooklyn-parents-in-williamsburggreenpo.html
http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?id=276284055389&story_fbid=439308849439285
http://dianeravitch.net/2013/01/14/do-affluent-white-neighborhoods-need-charter-schools/
http://www.schoolsmatter.info/2012/04/guest-post-silver-lake-parents-unite-in.html
http://ednotesonline.blogspot.com/2012/02/finally-williamsburg-and-greenpoint.html
http://browse.feedreader.com/c/Ed_Notes_Online/295466535
http://www.greenpointnews.com/calendar/5010/public-hearing-about-co-locating-citizens-of-the-world-charter-school-in-jhs-126
http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2012_05_16_archive.html
http://www.k12newsnetwork.com/2012/05/williamsburg-public-schools-draw-heightened-contrast-between-their-approach-pr/
http://thediariesofalawstudent.blogspot.com/2012/05/comments-on-applications-of-citizens-of.html
http://nycpublicschoolparents.blogspot.com/2012/03/charter-schools-and-their-segregating.html
http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20130129/greenpoint/parents-sue-state-for-approving-citizens-of-world-charter-school
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nyceducationnews/message/43526
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nyceducationnews/message/50127
http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20121206/williamsburg/locals-blast-charter-schools-proposed-co-location-williamsburg
http://seattleducation2010.wordpress.com/2013/02/03/the-weekly-update-cyber-buck-high-stake-testing-and-charter-school-its-all-about-the-children-right/
http://musicthatwelike.blogspot.com/2012/10/parents-sue-suny-over-charter.html
http://www.facebook.com/advocatesforjustice/posts/374269002667000
http://www.villagevoice.com/2013-01-30/news/eva-moskowitz-bloomberg-charter-schools/4/

WAGPOPS Letter to Suny Opposing Citizens of the World Charter Schools www.scribd.com WILLIAMSBURG AND GREENPOINT PARENTS: OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS! Representing the District 14 Parents and Co...