De Blasio Allies Counterattack on Moskowitz - the Real Civil Rights Issue of the Time

As a candidate for mayor, Bill de Blasio electrified crowds of parents and education activists with a pledge to charge rent to charter schools, one of the starkest policy departures from his predecessor, Michael R. Bloomberg... NY Times, March 10, 2014

Well, finally, a word or two that gets to the heart of the issue. The Mayor ran on an anti-charter platform and beat the guy who ran on a pro-charter platform. But then the article in the Times drifts into the admitted failure of deB to articulate a firm policy.

These groups don't have the money or resources but the de Blasio election with 75% of the vote over the pro-charter Lhota does mean something.

I'm betting the UFT is putting some resources into this but far behind the scenes and in fact is crippled by the fact that they have a co-located charter school and don't pay rent. So on the biggest ed issue of the day, the UFT must play in the shadows. (I will post some video of the rally the UFT did help organize at Seth Low -- but that is the great district UFT rep doing the heavy lifting.)

And notice how much more press the Moskwitz law suit is getting over the Tish James law suit to stop even the co-locos deB gave Eva. How delicious would that be?

Parents and Allies of Mayor de Blasio Debunk Charter Lobbyists’ Misinformation Campaign

*They Will Respond to Success Academy's Lawsuit over Co-locations and Defend de Blasio's Policy*

At Harlem Event, PS 149/PS 811 Parents, Rev. Michael Walrond, and Allies of Mayor de Blasio Will Rally for Reversal of Co-locations and Set the Record Straight

On the Heels of a New Video Campaign, Harlem Parents Will Discuss Why the Expansion of Success Academy in Their Schools' Building Would Have Been Harmful

WHO: Parents and Teachers from PS 149 and PS 811; Harlem Congressional Candidate Rev. Michael Walrond; Top Supporters of Mayor de Blasio.

WHAT: PS 149/PS 811 parents and their allies speak out in support of Mayor de Blasio’s decision to reverse the co-location in their school building. This event will come on the heels of a new video ad campaign these parents will launch Monday to debunk the misinformation and distortions that charter school lobbyists have been pedaling to the press.

WHERE: PS 149/PS 811, corner of 117^th St and Lenox Ave., Harlem

WHEN: Monday, March 10, 4 p.m.

WHY: PS 149 and PS 811 lost several classrooms and a lot of space when Harlem Success Academy 4 was first co-located in their building in 2008. PS 811, a District 75 school for students with special needs, would have lost five additional rooms, including its only therapy room and a state-mandated room for conflict resolution, if Success Academy had been allowed to expand. Parents will speak about how Mayor de Blasio’s new process for evaluating co-locations strikes the right balance and takes into consideration the impact on existing district public schools.

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Dan Morris

Progressive Cities
917.952.8920
www.progressivecities.us

@dmorrispress

		Stand With The Parents of P.S. 149 and P.S. 811!. Click Here to Thank Mayor De Blasio for defending the parents and students of P.S. 149 and P.S. 811! Dear Norm, The hedge-fund cronies behind Eva Moskowitz and Success Academy are spending millions on TV ads to tell people that Mayor de Blasio is hurting children by refusing to allow her corporate-backed schools from moving into any public school they please. What her ads don't tell you is the truth. Were it not for de Blasio's decision to prevent the co-locations of P.S. 149 and P.S. 811 in Harlem, the building would be at 132% capacity. It would force students at the existing schools, many of them special-needs students, to hold classes and occupational therapy in the hallway. Check out this video made by students and parents from the two schools. Fortunately these parents don't have to worry about finding another school for their children, and they're thanking Mayor de Blasio for standing up against the corporate education movement and standing with public school parents and students. We are too.  Click here to thank Mayor de Blasio for protecting the students of PS 149 and PS 811! During the last 12 years of the Bloomberg administration, thousands of public school parents and students in our communities have been under constant threat of being forced out of their local schools, or forced to compete for resources and space with co-located schools. That administration is gone; it's time to rebuild and reinvest in our public school system, and to defend students like those in PS 149 and PS 811. Join the parents of PS 149 and PS 811 in thanking Mayor de Blasio for taking a stand for special-needs students, parents, and NYC public schools. Best, Olivia Leirer Communications and Social Media Director New York Communities for Change

Bertha Lewis Condemns Success Academy Lawsuit

New York, NY— Bertha Lewis, President of The Black Institute and a nationally-recognized civil rights leader and progressive advocate, released the following statement tonight condemning the federal lawsuit filed by Success Academy against Mayor de Blasio’s recent reversal of three co-locations:

“This lawsuit is not about civil rights, it's about the privatization of public education. Mayor de Blasio has stood up to the Wall Street bullies and said they cannot seize classrooms from students with disabilities to advance their political agenda. The civil rights community stands with him,” said Lewis.

Monday March 10, 4PM: Rally at Harlem School for Victims of Moskowitz Attempt to Push Out Special Ed Kids

Which kids are really getting hurt in the charter wars?

Rally To Support de Blasio and Public  Schools in Harlem Tomorrow
Where:  Outside PS/ MS 149
When : 4: 00- 5:00  March 10
41 W.  117th St between Lennox Ave and Fifth
Subway:  2 or 3 to 116th 

Even as Mayor Bill de Blasio’s  handling of the issue of charter school co-locations has disappointed many, it has signaled the end of the era when the likes of entrepreneur Eva Moskowitz is granted whatever entrepreneur Eva Moskowitz  wants, regardless of how many public school children are displaced, short changed and treated  as if they are second rate citizens.    

Over the past week and more, Moskowitz has received absurdly favorable press in New York City papers, even as she once again removed children from schools during school hours, this time to bus  them to Albany as if they were adult lobbyists.  After years of incredibly favorable treatment by the Bloomberg administration, de Blasio has had the political courage to stand up to Moskowitz and her billionaire backers.   

As a result, Moskowitz  and her  friends in the media are doing all they can to paint her and Success Academies  as victims and create the false appearance of overwhelming public support for Moskowitz and the  horrific and destructive policies of Mike Bloomberg.  

They have flooded the air-waves with slick, heart-tugging commercials, engaging in a multi-million dollar public relations campaign designed to do nothing less than trick the public into forgetting that de Blasio won by a margin of 75% over Joe Lhota, in large part because of de Blasio’s rejection of Bloomberg’s education policies, of which Moskowitz  is such a perfect example.   

Today we have an opportunity to once again reaffirm the public will, let Moskowitiz’s billionaires know that they do not own our schools and our city, and let de Blasio know he is not alone.
Please, if you can, come and let your voices be heard loud and clear.  Come and remind Moskowitz’s billionaire backers that we live in a democracy. Above all, come and help insure that all of our children are shown the dignity that all children deserve.
Patrick Walsh
Chapter Leader
PS/ MS 149
Harlem

Brooklyn Community Education Councils Slam De Blasio Giveaway to Moskowitz and Other Charters

The Community Education council of District 20 and 21 invites all community members to join them at I.S. 96 Seth Low to Rally on Friday, March 7, 2014 at 2:30 PM.

Imagine if these communities and the principals closed all the schools in these 2 districts so people could attend the rallies.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Community Education Council District 21 calls on Chancellor Farina and Mayor de Blasio to reverse the decision to implement co-location plan for I.S. 96, Seth Low, and I.S. 281, Joseph B. Cavallaro.

            Last Thursday’s announcement regarding the continuance of charter co-locations at I.S. 96, Seth Low, and I.S. 281, Joseph B. Cavallaro, is a major setback for our community.  There was such hope that Mayor de Blasio and Chancellor Farina would finally listen to the voices of parents and community members.  Many of us now feel only disappointment and frustration. In the fall of 2013, the Community Education Council District 21 passed two resolutions opposing both co-locations, we have rallied, gone to both PEP meetings and still our voices were not heard.  2014 had such potential for parents and yet again, we have been pushed to the side.  We have been given a promise that they will do things better in the future.  What about the children and their families that are already attending I.S. 96 Seth Low, and I.S. 281, Joseph B. Cavallaro, don’t they count too?  I understand that they based their decisions on families that applied for seats for September 2014 and the deadline was coming.  Our children’s educations should not be about deadlines.  We provide excellent educational opportunities for all children in this district and have seats in our traditional public schools for the children who have applied.  More time should have been taken to visit and speak to schools, families, and community members regarding the co-locations. There is no need to rush putting two more elementary schools in our district. We have and always will supply a high quality education for every child in our district’s traditional public schools.   Mayor de Blasio's plan is to provide full day, high quality Pre-K programs to
53,000 students in 2014. With two elementary Charter school co-locations opening in 2014 in our district, what middle school space can the Chancellor guarantee will be available for these students in the future?

            It’s time to come together once again as a community! Let our voices be heard loud and clear “We say NO to the co-locations decisions on I.S. 96 and I.S. 281, Joseph B. Cavallaro”. The Community Education Council District 21 calls on Chancellor Farina and Mayor de Blasio to reverse the decision to implement co-location plan for I.S.96, Seth Low and I.S. 281, Joseph B. Cavallaro.

The Community Education council of District 20 & 21 invites all community members to join them at I.S. 96 Seth Low to Rally on Friday, March 7, 2014 at 2:30 PM.

Video from PEP meetings where the PEP was slammed by CEC 21:   http://ednotesonline.blogspot.com/2014/03/brooklyn-rally-friday-to-oppose-de.html

De Blasio Wasting His Charter Election Mandate - It is Time for He and Tish James to Make a Stand

Candidate de Blasio promised he’d start charging well-financed charter schools that got rent-free use of space in public schools. He did not like the idea of two different sets of kids getting different educations under the same school roof. One group gets a quasi-private school with no overhead in public school space.
Grade that F — for favoritism.
Mayor de Blasio is just doing what he promised to do during campaign... There has been a lot of barking over Mayor de Blasio's plans to tax-the-rich to fund pre-K and take a hard line on charter schools that take resources from public school students. But that's what got him elected in the first place... Daily News columnist Dennis Hamill

Finally, a piece that makes this point. Didn't he defeat pro-charter Joe Lhota with 75% of the vote? How inept politically on his part. But Michael Powell in the Times has the wrong take on the ineptness.

He decided last week to let most plans for charter expansion go forward — save for three schools run by Ms. Moskowitz. As a result, many dozens of children are without schools for next fall. Credit is due the mayor. With this decision, he succeeded at the devilishly difficult task of making a martyr of Ms. Moskowitz.

WTF, Michael. You mean deB's mistake was not giving in to everything she wanted? No, his big error is NOT going on the attack -- pointing the money she spends on advertizing, her salary which is higher than his, the chancellor and the president. Or her voracious attacks on schools she occupies. There is just so much stuff out there. But we get silence.

And the charter lobby alliance with Cuomo may well cow the other charter critics like Public Advocate Tish James, who is holding a meeting Saturday regarding this issue (Tish James Calls for March 8 Meeting: Dear CEC, PTA presidents and Elected Officials Impacted by Co-Locations)
and will "update" people on the status of the lawsuit she and City Council speaker Mark-Viverito filed but put on hold. My guess is that they are both being scared off. The James powerful speeches at the PEP meetings (here and here) seem to be turning into little squeaks. Just to remind you, let me run the first James clip from the Oct. 15 PEP.



Dennis Hamill seems to be the only media person who gets it.

So this week, it’s charter schools.
Every week, his sore-loser critics want Mayor de Blasio to break another campaign promise to those who elected him.
De Blasio, a progressive Democrat, ran on a platform of complete reform of the NYPD’s out-of-control “stop, question and frisk” policy under Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly. Joe Lhota, his Republican opponent, promised to continue the policy and reappoint Kelly.
The city went to the polls and gave de Blasio about 75% of the vote.

And when de Blasio appointed Bill Bratton police commissioner to implement stop-and-frisk reforms, the mayor’s “shocked, shocked” critics painted him as a Socialist Sandinista who is inviting a return to the bad old days of the crack epidemic.
They wanted de Blasio to break his campaign promise.
This is ridiculous. Especially since under de Blasio/Bratton, this city has already enjoyed a 21% dip in murders during the first two months of the year.
De Blasio the candidate promised to tax the rich a paltry sum to help fund universal prekindergarten in public schools.

When Mayor de Blasio moved to keep that promise, his critics had a meltdown. They preferred a different plan suggested by Gov. Cuomo, who, in an election year, must appeal to a much broader statewide electorate.
De Blasio’s critics got headlines. But they are the minority who either voted for his opponent or did not have the civic pride to vote at all.
Now de Blasio’s sore-loser critics demand he break this campaign promise, too.
And this week, it’s charter schools. 

Candidate de Blasio promised he’d start charging well-financed charter schools that got rent-free use of space in public schools. He did not like the idea of two different sets of kids getting different educations under the same school roof. One group gets a quasi-private school with no overhead in public school space.
Grade that F — for favoritism.
De Blasio’s critics like to point out that many charter school students are minorities. So what? So are most New York City public school students.
The mayor’s critics even resort to making this a contest of how many people show up at rallies in Albany. One thousand people at a pro-de Blasio prekindergarten rally as opposed to 7,000 at an anti-de Blasio save-the-charter-school rally. Both are laughable numbers out of a public school system of 1.1 million students.

But Dennis Hamill gets this part wrong too. People showed up at the Moskowitz rally because SHE WAS ALLOWED TO CLOSE HER DAMN SCHOOLS AND FORCE PARENTS, STUDENTS AND STAFF TO ATTEND.

Not one word about that outrage in the press. What if de Blasio closed Brooklyn schools tomorrow so they could support the rally at Seth Low? Oh, would the press be screaming. 

Hamill finishes with a powerful point.

The only rally that mattered was the election last November.
De Blasio ran as a liberal Democrat on a progressive platform against Lhota. The choice was clear: Turn left or turn right.
De Blasio won in a landslide.
Some rich and powerful people don’t like the people’s choice of taxing the rich for pre-K. The police union doesn’t like the new stop-and-frisk policy. Parents of charter school students don’t like de Blasio’s new policy.

But the people have spoken.
The bottom line is: De Blasio was elected to reform stop-and-frisk, tax the rich to fund pre-K and curb the freeloading charter schools in public school buildings.
Now his sore-loser critics want him to break all those campaign promises.
Which would make de Blasio a phony and a liar to all those who elected him.

The NY Times' Michael Powell has a different slant. While absolutely correct on the inept de Blasio politically on the charter issue, Powell focuses on the Cuomo factor.

“Cat in Albany Is Outfoxing New York City’s Mouse”: “Credit is due the mayor. … [H]e succeeded at the devilishly difficult task of making a martyr of Ms. Moskowitz.” http://goo.gl/h8IY1m

Maybe the problem was with the metaphor.

Mayor Bill de Blasio took office and talked “progressive,” with ambitious plans for an income tax on the wealthy and an increase in the minimum wage. He rallied unions and activists and parents, and the sense was of a dog howling, and putting on notice the bigger dog in Albany.

Two months later, it turns out that the more apt metaphor was of cat-and-mouse.

Mr. de Blasio has taken the role of the impulsive mouse, demanding this cheese and that, and not quite knowing how to end his game. And Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has taken the role of the big cat who can treat the mouse kindly — and, with a whack, send it tumbling back into its hole.

Evidence of the mayor’s diminished state came on Tuesday, when he took his crusade for a tax to fund universal prekindergarten to an armory in Albany a few blocks north of the Capitol. The turnout was not much to boast of, and it was made up mostly of union members who were in town to lobby for various causes.

Continue reading the main story

Related Coverage below the jump

Brooklyn Rally Friday to Oppose de Blasio School Giveaway to Moskowitz/Success Charter

"We want our schools back." Letitia James, at PEP, Oct. 2013..

RALLY, Friday, March 7, 2:30PM at Seth Low, 99 Ave. P.

Will James be there?

The counterattack begins. I know, how many of these anti-Eva rallies have we seen in school after school? Water off her back as she knows that when school opens in the fall the fait accompli will sink in and people will stop protesting.

But here she is entering a slightly different world. A more active and politically connected one. And with Bloomberg, who didn't give a shit, gone and de Blasio thinking about the future and a 2nd term, hitting this Bensonhurst community is a big mistake.

Here is some video from the October 2013 PEP meetings where the Bloomberg PEP was slammed by the same CEC 21 people holding the rally. Now that de Blasio has endorsed the Bloomberg handover to Moskowitz, the same points apply.

Video: District 21 CEC Parents Object to DOE Co-Locations

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvSu_tm5tKM

"We want our schools back." Letitia James, at PEP, Oct. 2013
That was also the night that soon to be elected Tish James made a powerful statement. Where is she now?



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYwb_mCehTY

And here is Dominick Recchia who formerly supported co-locations going after the other co-loco for Coney Island Prep.

http://youtu.be/UwKviU6VmLk

Community Education Council District 21

           

Officers: Heather Fiorica, President · Anna Lembersky, 1^st Vice President · Joyce Finger, 2^nd Vice President ·

Linda Dalton, Recording Secretary ·Randi Garay, Treasurer

Members Muneer Abualroub·Mohammad Akram·Sean Chin·Maria Di Graziano ·Yoketing Eng·Evangelean Pugh

RALLY

at

SETH LOW IS96

99 Avenue P

Friday, March 7^th

2:30 pm

Come show your support for Seth Low and tell the Mayor to reverse the Success Charter

Co-location!

Breaking: Eva Moskowitz Violates Numerous DOE Safety and Other Regs by Calling Illegal Press Conference Inside PS 241

Success Academy parents were in attendance not because they chose to be there but because their children were held captive so that their parents would attend. Success Academy staffers greeted parents arriving to pick up their children (at 4:30) and directed parents into the school's auditorium telling them they could not pick up their children until after this meeting. Many parents were furious and complained but to no avail. They would not get access to the children until Eva had their captive attention.... Report from inside PS 241

When does the time come when this woman's blatant use of children and parents for her own selfish political ends will be challenged? Will de Blasio and Farina show some guts and hold Eva's feet to the fire? I'm betting not with today's sorry showing where only 9 co-locos were reversed even if 3 were Eva's. She should have gotten all of her school invasions reversed. Some communities are already up in arms, but more on that later.

Here is a report from an insider.

Eva Moskowitz held a press conference today in our school- for free- all the while utilizing NYC DOE property (and our sound system) while blatantly refusing to follow DOE protocol. 

She did not obtain the proper permits for holding a press conference/rally inside the building, let in press without prior approval from the DOE and risked the safety and security of all the children in the building who were attending after-school programs when her staff opened the back doors of the building to usher in adults who never signed in with security- this includes those members of the press who most likely knew they would never have gotten past security!!!

Security officers stated that they were never informed that any meeting, rally, or press conference would be held inside the school building.  They had been notified that there would be one outside the building in the school yard. The head custodian was never notified of any such event.  The principal of the school- who is solely responsible for submitting all permits to the DOE was not notified as well.  

Each of the above-mentioned parties called their supervisors when confronted with the "impromptu" decision to move the event inside- all of whom stated that this was not in accordance to DOE protocols and should not be allowed. School Safety stated they would be sending more officers to the site to shut it down as we only had two officers on site and one was scheduled to leave at that time. It was not deemed safe for these officers to handle the situation on their own without back-up.  The Custodial supervisor was not happy and went to call his supervisor. The school's Network personnel requested that a public school staff member be present at this event (to perhaps witness any further assaults on DOE protocol/procedures??).  

Success Academy parents were in attendance not because they chose to be there but because their children were held captive so that their parents would attend. Success Academy staffers greeted parents arriving to pick up their children (at 4:30) and directed parents into the school's auditorium telling them they could not pick up their children until after this meeting. Many parents were furious and complained but to no avail. They would not get access to the children until Eva had their captive attention.  

She then proceeded to persuade them that the de Blasio was closing one of their schools (interesting twist on not allowing more schools to open in space already occupied by existing schools.) Eva spoke to parents about her schools being the only successful schools- and the evil de Blasio stealing that away from parents- not allowing their children to get a real education. Because only she can provide a "real" education.  She then paraded out two black staffers (mind you- she is surrounded by almost all white staffers- everywhere) but parades out these two black staffers to speak to the parents- 99% of whom are black by my eyewitness account) to pressure them into attending Tuesday's lobby day in Albany. Her schools will be shut down that day- students missing an entire day of education- so that she can bring busloads of folks to Albany. I call this child exploitation- children should be in school learning- not spending half the day on a bus, paraded around the state capital, used as a pawn in one women's quest to monopolize and privatize public education.   

When the pre-event concluded, parents were ushed out to the school yard to attend a second "real" press event.

The event was kept short- probably knowing that she only had so much time before official were alerted and actually arrived on site- so that approximately 20-30 minutes after the event began- she moved everyone outside. 

Unfortunately- the DOE was unable (or maybe unwilling) to mobilize fast enough to stop this blatant disregard of protocol's set in place for all public schools- but apparently not for Eva. She will do anything to get more free space to run her schools- her own way- with no respect or regard for the same institution which feeds her. 

Will de Blasio Dump Moskowitz' Ill-Gotten Gains as Eva Throws Tantrum?

The last minute push by Bloomberg to get as many Eva Moskowitz charters into as many neighborhoods as possible reminded me of the American rush to leave Saigon in the waning days of the Vietnam war. Two October PEP meetings were set up to beat the clock and Moskowitz walked away with the biggest bundle. Law suits were filed over one of the final outrages of the Bloomberg administration. Public Advocate Tish James has put hers on hold until the outcome. And apparently Evil has got word that it is not looking good for her. So she is throwing one of her tantrums.

At this moment I don't even care about the other charters. In some ways it would be smart politically for de Blasio to allow many of them to go through and just chop Moskowitz for her avarice and naked political ambition to use kids and parents for her own ends.

Her peeps have given 800K to buy Cuomo, the UFT's buddy - and she is trying to pull any power play she can, including pulling the kids out of school.

Here are reports from Ravitch with links to the Geoff Decker piece on Charter beat.

Eva Moskowitz Plans to Fight Mayor de Blasio in Albany by dianeravitch

Eva Moskowitz, the combative CEO of the Success Academy charter school chain (previously called Harlem Success Academy), anticipates that new Mayor Bill de Blasio may charge rent for her use of public space or may deny some of the co-locations offered in the waning days of the Bloomberg administration. Moskowitz enjoyed preferential treatment when Michael Bloomberg was mayor and had immediate access to Chancellor Joel Klein. Those days are over, as de Blasio has pledged to review all future co-locations and to consult with local communities.

Moskowitz issued a statement promising to take her battle for more schools and more funding to Albany, where she has friends in Legislature and in Governor Cuomo. According to a report by Geoffrey Decker in Chalkbeat, charter advocates--some of whom are on the board of Eva's chain--have contributed more than $800,000 to Cuomo. Eva will bring busloads of students to Albany with her to impress the Legislature, something that no public school would be permitted to do. In addition, a charter advocacy group called Families for Excellent Schools will mount a multi-million dollar TV campaign to block de Blasio's efforts to rein in the charter movement.

22,091 homeless children, how many are at a Moskowitz Success Academy Charter School?

Their numbers have risen above anything in the city’s modern history, to a staggering 22,091 this month. If all of the city’s homeless children were to file into Madison Square Garden for a hockey game, more than 4,800 would not have a seat... Andrea Elliot, NY Times

And how many would find a seat at an Eva Moskowitz Success Academy Charter School? Or in fact, how many of these 22,000 children are in any charter school?
I taught many children like the wonderful Dasani and remember what the end results were for all too many of them. I hope so much there is something better for her. But think of where most of these children go to school and get a deeper understanding of what the charter movement is all about -- allowing the higher end of the poorer communities a choice -- a choice to get their kids away from the Dasanis. A form of educational apartheid. The alternate option for policy makers -- those ed deformers -- would have been to provide a level of support for the neighborhood public school that would really help Dasani and leave enough resources in the public school to support the parents who are deserting them for charters.
Today's 4th installment by the wondrous Andrea (just hand me my Pultizer and every other journalism award) Elliot.

Finding Safety and Strength in the Bonds of Her Siblings

PEP Video: Community Says "No MORE Charters"

Panel for Educational Policy October 15, 2013:
NYCDOE votes to cram 23 co-locations and charters into existing schools despite large protests, mostly unreported by the press which gave extensive coverage when charters closed schools for half a day and told parents they had to attend.

Members of MORE help lead protest at PEP as parents, students, teachers and entire communities around the city say NO to privately run charter schools that invade public school space. The NYC ed press of course ignores community outrage while promoting every vestige of charter promotion. Included in this video is me speaking on the issue. I handed the camera to someone I won't name who got a good shot of the ceiling as I began to speak but then did a superb job.

My major point was that charters were allowed to close for a politically driven protest while public schools being invaded by these charters had to hold their protests/rallies at their schools after school. Their numbers were way above the charter numbers, with over a thousand people attending the Roy Mann rally, another event the NYC ed press ignored. Yes Virginia, the press was not reporting those numbers of anti-charter people. In fact the press did not report this outpouring of

anti-charter co-loco feelings from a packed house at this PEP. They assume that the UFT was behind the chants when nothing can be further from the truth. Does this person on the right, who you can see in the video while the chant was going on look happy?

I also pointed to the Moskowitz hired camera and sound people who she pays to attend every meeting at a reputed cost of over 75K a year. And she object so paying rent? Again, the press ignores the enormous expenditures by Success. Eva manipulated other charters into taking action to try to protect her revenue stream. We all know di Blasio's arrow is aimed directly at her. And she does too.

Lots of videos to come from that Oct 15 PEP -- hope I can get them done before the next one on Oct. 30. And today I'm heading over to the PS 196 rally and hearing to tape.

http://youtu.be/wX5-I1U-G0I

Video: PEP Oct 15 2013 - I Am Bergtraum

Some of the strongest voices at the PEP came from the Murry Bergtraum HS community in lower Manhattan as they fought the blatant handing over of this prime real estate to Eva Moskowitz who will now have bases in big high school buildings in every part of Manhattan (Brandeis, Graphic Arts, Washington Irving). One irony: Murry Bergtraum's daughter was appointed to the PEP by Bloomberg. I didn't stay around to watch her vote but she seemed to spend a good part of the presentation by Bergtraum students with her hand over her mouth. If she voted to install Success in the school named for her father --- well, I don't have the words.

I did a quick editing job on this to get as many people in -- led off by our pal and MOREista John Elfrank-Dana, chapter leader.

PEP Oct 15 2013 - I Am Bergtraum
https://vimeo.com/77126813

"Voices of Students, Teachers, Parents defending their lower Manhattan HS from the Co-location of Success Charter wearing tee-shirts proudly proclaiming "I am Bergtraum.""

How Much Per Child Did Eva's Success Charters Spend on Ads to Create "Demand" While Not Filling All Seats?

Success Charter forced march over BklynBrModeled on Bataan Death march

According to DOE records, in 2011/2012 Upper West Success was only able to fill 164 of its authorized 188 Kindergarten and 1st grade seat (an estimated marketing cost of some $6000 per enrollee). We estimate that Eva spent over a million dollars on recruitment/marketing for Upper West Success alone in 2010/2011 school year. According to Eva, and to SUNY, her charter authorizer, this effort generated a wait list of 1400 kids, on top of 188 lottery "winners"... Noah Gotbaum

One more reason to go the the October 15 PEP meeting Tuesday to challenge the Moskowitz dominated charter lobby and punch holes in their forced Oct. 8 march over the Brooklyn Bridge.

The Success Charter Network, a chain of charter schools headed by former City Councilwoman Eva Moskowitz, spent an astonishing $1.6million in the 2009-2010 school year just for publicity and recruitment of new students, the group's most recent financial reports show. ... Juan Gonzales, Success Charter Network has been just that for Eva Moskowitz but not for public schools

Talk about inflating demand for your product...
The money went to everything you can imagine - bus stop ads, multiple mass mailings of glossy color brochures to tens of the thousands of homes, a small army of part-time workers going door-to-door to sign up applicants, high profile "school choice" fairs.
Community leaders and educators in Harlem and the South Bronx - where those first seven schools were located - say they have never encountered such a relentless and well-financed campaign aimed at convincing parents to desert the public schools. Many are stunned that the nonprofit Success network is able to spend so lavishly while regular city schools are being forced to cut their budgets.

Many neighborhood parents and community leaders say Moskowitz enjoys special treatment from education officials both in Albany and at Tweed. They say once she sets up in public school, she keeps insisting on more and more space for her programs.

Individual schools in the network spent another $245,000 on recruitment and marketing from money they got from the Department of Education.

The Success network even spent $72,000 last year on a videographer whose duties included filming protests against its schools.

Not just protests but every single hearing has a videographer and often a sound guy. And sometimes while I get pushed around by DOE security, these guys who are not press get special treatment.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/success-charter-network-eva-moskowitz-public-schools-article-1.159481#ixzz2heRAZQoU

And this from Noah Gotbaum:

Why did/does she need to spend all that money? Because the "huge" demand and "enormous" waiting lists claimed by Success, and by Citizens of the World, and by the charter lobby are, for the most part, fictitious. Either that, or the screening out and cream-skimming of applicants by Eva and other charters is so great that out of 1400 on the waitlist they were unable to find 20 kids THEY would be willing to accept.

We asked Success Charter how this could be and didn't receive an answer. Then we asked the DOE, and they directed us to SUNY. SUNY then directed us to Success Charter's Board of Directors. No response. So CEC3 FOILed for information on the lottery/matriculation/enrollment process.

That was 3 years ago.

We are still waiting.

I am hopeful that under Mayor deBlasio the waiting will end, and transparency, accountability and equity for our schools, will begin. I also hope that Bloomberg, the DOE and Success won't be allowed to destroy all the evidence before they leave office.

Noah

I'm looking through my hats to see which one I will eat if deBlasio gets Eva to pay rent.

Over Eva Invasion, Bergtraum ChLdr Warns of Security Dangers of Co-Location

John Elfrank-Dana is joined by fellow teachers, former students and others in opposing another Eva Moskowitz Success Academy land grab in lower Manhattan this time. He warns of the dangers of putting kindergarten kids in a high school, especially in a high traffic area that suffered the 9/11 attack and remains a target. The recent disappearance of an autistic child from a large high school, shows the dangers of colocation. (The mother of the still-missing 14-year-old autistic boy plans to sue the DOE. (WNYC, NY1, CBS, Times)

http://youtu.be/izSpOI9WeXY

A Memo on Eva Moskowitz's March and the #TaleofTwoSchoolSystems

• Harlem Success 1, Eva’s oldest school, suspended 22% of its pupils at least once during the 2010-11 school year, while the average for regular elementary district schools was 3%.
• • Most recent tax filings for Success Network show Eva earns at least $475,000, which is two times the salary of Chancellor Walcott.
  • While she refuses to pay rent for normal services and space costs, it was reported in 2012 her network received $28 million from foundations and corporations over the last 6 years, with a combined $23.5 million surplus, and two outside political consulting groups on the payroll.
   

I'm pumping these out as fast as they come in over this morning's charter lobby outrage against ALL parents, students and staff who were led in a forced march over the Brooklyn Bridge while public schools were on lock down so they couldn't join the counter marches and rallies to demonstrate there is severe opposition to the charter lobby.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 8th, 2013
Media Contacts:Julian Vinocur. 203.313.2479. julianvinocur@gmail.com
Dan Morris. 917.952.8920. dlmcommunications@gmail.com
Stuart Marques. 917.273.6194. stuart.marques@gmail.com

A Memo on Eva Moskowitz's March and the #TaleofTwoSchoolSystems

To: Interested Parties

From: New Yorkers for Great Public Schools (NYGPS)

Re: Eva Moskowitz’s March for Separate and Unequal Education

Eva’s Stunt Would be a Fireable Offense for Anyone Else

Today’s march is a political maneuver by Success Charter Schools CEO Eva Moskowitz to perpetuate a dark tale of two school systems in which charter schools thrive and traditional public schools struggle to survive.

Her chosen candidate for mayor, Joe Lhota, has pledged to double the number of charter schools in the city. Moskowitz and Lhota are marching together in favor of separate and unequal education, while Bill de Blasio has said he would charge charter schools rent and support a moratorium on co-locations and closings to make the system fairer and more equitable.

Make no mistake: closing schools for half the day, as Moskowitz has done today, to “facilitate” the participation of parents, students, and staff in a political march would be a fireable offense for most public school principals.

But Moskowitz is not viewed by City Hall as an ordinary figure, so she’ll get away what would be a career-damaging stunt for anyone else. She’s been given special treatment by Mayor Bloomberg and the Department of Education, and she fears the favoritism and perks will end under de Blasio.

NYGPS and Bill de Blasio: Ending the Tale of Two School Systems

New Yorkers for Great Public Schools (NYGPS) is a coalition of thousands of parents, students, educators, and community organizations. We have called for a moratorium on divisive school closings and co-locations that have pit parent against parent, student against student and school against school.  A majority of City Council members and several mayoral candidates—including Bill de Blasio—have embraced our view.

We are committed to ending the tale of two school systems and giving all public schools a fair and equal chance to succeed. We are focused on strengthening all public schools and ensuring that charter schools don't receive special treatment or get away with neglecting the needs of the city's most vulnerable students. 

Charters must be held to the same standards as traditional public schools. Our next mayor should require charter schools to report on finances, instruction, school policy and operations to increase their transparency and accountability within the overall school system. Well-off charter schools should pay fees for their use of traditional public school facilities in a way that is fair and equitable.

Top 5 Reasons Why Eva’s #TaleofTwoSchoolSystems Must End:

1)   Charter Schools Serve Fewer than 5% of the City’s 1.1 Million Students

• Charter schools enroll fewer than 5% of New York City's 1.1 million students and data shows high rates of attrition at some Success Academy schools for ELL students and students with disabilities.  Only 6% of students enrolled in charters are ELLs, compared with 14% citywide, and only 9% of charter students have IEPs compared to about 15% citywide. 
• To continue to give charter schools special treatment would be to neglect the needs of 95% of the city’s 1.1 million students. It’s unfair and unacceptable.

2)   Charter Schools Often Receive More Funding Than Traditional Public Schools

• The NYC Independent Budget Office reported in 2011 that charter schools that receive free space in city buildings receive about $650 more per student in public funding than traditional district schools.
  

3)     Eva Has Received Special Treatment from Bloomberg’s DOE

• The relationship between Eva Moskowitz and the Dept. of Education has been extremely cozy with a level of access to resources and special favors unknown to most other administrators. The disturbing exchanges, made public by FOIL’ed email exchanges, show Eva’s special treatment. She told former Chancellor Joel Klein, "help on space much appreciated," referring to her divisive co-locations, and confided to him, “we will have market share and will have fundamentally changed the rules of the game."
• Eva’s co-located charter schools create separate and unequal health standards in public school buildings, as many Success charter schools were bumped to the top of the line in the removal of toxic PCB’s while public school students were left exposed to hazardous chemicals. Many of the toxic treatment for her charter schools occurred without informing the Dept. of Education.

4)     Eva’s Multi-Dollar Network Refuses to Pay Rent for Public Space

• Eva makes two times the salary as Chancellor Walcott and still refuses to pay rent in co-located schools. Most recent tax filings for Success Network show Eva earns at least $475,000, which is two times the salary of Chancellor Walcott.
• While she refuses to pay rent for normal services and space costs, it was reported in 2012 her network received $28 million from foundations and corporations over the last 6 years, with a combined $23.5 million surplus, and two outside political consulting groups on the payroll.

5)   Eva Uses Zero Tolerance Discipline to Push Out High-Needs Students

• Eva’s schools are notorious for excluding high needs students. The “charter school tapes,” unveiled by Daily News reporter Juan Gonzalez, highlight over a dozen cases where the charter school network has used “zero tolerance” discipline policiesto suspend, push out, or demote high needs students who might lower scores on state exams.
• Harlem Success 1, Eva’s oldest school, suspended 22% of its pupils at least once during the 2010-11 school year, while the average for regular elementary district schools was 3%.
• Further, as reported by New York Magazine, her approach is militaristic: New students are initiated at “kindergarten boot camp,” where they get drilled for two weeks on how to behave in the “zero noise” corridors (straight lines, mouths shut, arms at one’s sides) and the art of active listening (legs crossed, hands folded, eyes tracking the speaker).

Please visit www.nygps.org, for more information

NYC Public School Parents Comment on Charter Phony Demand Claims

The charter industry spends thousands of dollars per students to pull demand. One of today's march organizers, the CEO of CMO PublicPrep, recently had to pull an offer to pay families ( $100 in AmEx gift cards + $100  to college fund 529) under pressure form DoE/the charter lobby because it exposes how desperate these schools are to create demand.... Clearly demand does not drive policy- so why does the DoE and charter lobby keep pretending they should? ....

We FOILed the enrollment figures and zip codes of students for CWC Williasmburg (Citizens of the World - run be Eva Moskowitz' husband) and this is what we found out: CWC Williamsburg has only 65 students  (out of a planned 126).  A total of only 39 Kindergartners and 26 1st graders.AND, when we looked at their zip codes, only THREE students come from the school's zip code.
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Remember how Citizens of the World Charter Schools was seeking TWO charter schools in D14 because parents were begging for them?  Walcott, in his comments to SUNY, even said that two CWCs were great, but there was only "sufficient space" for one in D14 (the other is in D17).  Yet Walcott found sufficient space to co-locate more schools in D14 later in the year.

The NYC DOE co-located CWC Williamsburg in the ONLY middle school in the area. We FOILed the enrollment figures and zip codes of students for CWC Williasmburg and this is what we found out: CWC Williamsburg has only 65 students  (out of a planned 126).  A total of only 39 Kindergartners and 26 1st graders.

AND, when we looked at their zip codes, only THREE students come from the school's zip code.  Anywhere from 60-86% are coming from out of the district. We would have a more definitive figure, but one of the zip codes is shared by D32 (2/3 of the zip is in D32).

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We need to push back on the myth that charter schools benefit from what DoE refers to as 'robust demand' which then justifies all the favor, attention and space showered upon them by this administration. Many of us question the accuracy and even existence of these tens of thousands of students on wait lists.

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All the charter schools in my district have claimed enormous demand as evidenced by huge wait lists yet none of them can meet their enrollment targets.

Indeed one of today's march organizers, the CEO of CMO PublicPrep, recently had to pull an offer to pay families ( $100 in AmEx gift cards + $100  to college fund 529) under pressure form DoE/the charter lobby because it exposes how desperate these schools are to create demand.

 

This is the same network that has emailed glossy postcards to the families and students  in the community directly having been given, for free, access to the DoE's registers of enrolled students.

The charter industry spends thousands of dollars per students to pull demand.

Does that undocumented demand justify the creation and colocation of schools that take resources form existing schools/students?

The Mayor does not think that 'demand' for sodas or guns on our streets is reason to allow or encourage their proliferation at the expense of our citizen's health and safety.

At last night's colocation hearing for a new CTE school NOT ONE person or organization attended or spoke in favor of the proposal.

In this year's choice-based  K admissions process in D1 some 3102 applicants applied for 886 seats.

 

Where does that "wait list" and "robust demand" get tallied, weighed and taken into account?

 

Our district seats are getting converted to citywide HS's, G and T and charter schools.

Clearly demand does not drive policy- so why does the DoE and charter lobby keep pretending they should?

 

Such great stuff exposing the myth of charter demand which the press ignores. Keep em coming.

Media release Tues. Oct. 8, 2013: Parents and Advocates comment on today's charter school march

New York State Education Law requires that when a district provides space or services to a charter school it shall do so at cost.  Yet the DOE provides free space and services for more than 100 co-located charter schools.  Using figures from the NYC Independent Budget Office, we estimate that the space and services these charter schools currently receive is worth more than $100 million a year. A large chunk of that unfair subsidy goes to Success charters, which operates 22 schools across New York City, all of them co-located, with plans for seven more schools in 2014. Yet Success had an operating surplus of more than $23 million in 2012, and probably enjoys an even larger surplus this year.” 

A follow-up to this morning's post: NYC Public Schools Rally in Opposition to Charters....


For immediate release:  Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Arthur Z. Schwartz, Advocates for Justice: aschwartz@advocatesny.com; 917- 923-8136 Leonie Haimson, Class Size Matters: leonie@classsizematters.org ; 917-435-9329
Sam Pirozollo, NYC Parents Union: sam@nycparentsunion.org ; 917-533-3437

Today, Eva Moskowitz and other charter school operators have closed their schools and are holding a political rally of students, parents and teachers, to try to pressure Bill de Blasio, Democratic candidate and frontrunner for Mayor, to go back on his campaign pledge that if elected, he will call for a moratorium on charter co-locations and charge charter schools rent.  What she and others in the charter lobby have ignored is that while Section 2853(4)(c) of the NY State Education Law allows districts to lease public school “buildings and grounds” to charters and to “contract for the operation and maintenance thereof,” it also requires that “any such contract shall provide such services or facilities at cost.” 

Arthur Schwartz, attorney with Advocates for Justice, who first filed a lawsuit on behalf of public school and charter school parents on this issue in 2011, says: “New York State Education Law requires that when a district provides space or services to a charter school it shall do so at cost.  Yet the DOE provides free space and services for more than 100 co-located charter schools.  Using figures from the NYC Independent Budget Office, we estimate that the space and services these charter schools currently receive is worth more than $100 million a year. A large chunk of that unfair subsidy goes to Success charters, which operates 22 schools across New York City, all of them co-located, with plans for seven more schools in 2014. Yet Success had an operating surplus of more than $23 million in 2012, and probably enjoys an even larger surplus this year.” 

“We have now been instructed by Justice Barbara Jaffe to take the issue to the State Education Commissioner. But in light of a recent ruling in a related case, we are asking the judge to reconsider. If she sends us to the Commissioner again we will appeal, in time to face off with a new Mayor. Success Charter Schools, which has organized the upcoming rally, is trying to exert political muscle. It will not succeed, in the public arena or in the courts. That $100 million will go back to our public schools, starved for resources, and hopefully allow them to reduce class sizes, which are now the largest in 15 years.”

"This 'protest march' is yet another example of separate and unequal treatment afforded to charters, especially Eva Moskowitz's Success Charters," says Noah Gotbaum, a public school parent of three and a Vice President of Community Education Council District 3 on the Upper West Side and Harlem. "Success claims its schools are public, but what other public school could close their doors and demand that its parents and students attend a political rally? What other public school could sue the State Comptroller to avoid the transparency of a state audit?  And what other public school could use our tax dollars to pay its CEO almost $500,000 per year?" 

As Leonie Haimson, Executive Director of Class Size Matters points out, “A 2011 study from the Independent Budget Office showed that co-located charters in NYC receive more in public dollars per student than regular public schools, and city spending on charters is expected to exceed one billion dollars next year.  A report released by the charter lobby attempts to contradict the IBO analysis but has little credibility, especially since its author, Harry Wilson, is personally close to many in the charter school movement , according to Whitney Tilson, prominent board member of Democrats for Education Reform.  Indeed, Wilson promised not to “harass” charters by auditing their books when he ran for NY State Comptroller in 2010.” 

Karen Sprowal, whose own son was pushed out of a Success charter in Kindergarten, observes:  “Over the last few months we have learned of even more cases of troubling disciplinary and push-out policies in charter schools, in a series of investigative reports from Juan Gonzalez of the Daily News.  There needs to be an immediate moratorium on expanding charters as well as co-locations, so that these abusive and potentially illegal practices can be carefully examined by authorities before any new charters are allowed to open in New York City.” 

Mona Davids, President, NYC Parents Union, said:  "As a former charter parent who spearheaded the charter reforms in 2010, I'm disgusted that Eva Moskowitz and other charter leaders are using parents and students as political pawns while continuing to violate the law by not serving their fair share of students with disabilities and English Language Learners, by not establishing Parent Associations and by refusing to be audited by the State Comptroller.  This march is an abuse of power by Eva Moskowitz and other charter leaders because no public school would be allowed to shut down for an entire morning to have their students engage in political activities." 

According to Sam Pirozzolo, president of the Community Education Council in District 31, Staten Island: “I find it ironic that Ms. Moskowitz, a leader who has been given the task of eliminating the achievement gap has done little more than increase the divide between the haves and have nots.  It is unfortunate that Eva Moskowitz has chosen to intimidate mayoral candidates by closing her schools for a day. She is hiding behind parents and children for the sake of profits and a paycheck. Since their inception, charter schools have been creaming only the best students from our public schools.” 

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