In the video, Charlotte Dial, a teacher at the organization's charter school in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, can be heard venting her frustration at a first grade child who is made to sit away from the other students for getting confused over how she had solved a math puzzle.
Angrily ripping up the young pupil's paper, Dial can be heard telling the child to "go to the calm-down chair and sit." "There's nothing that infuriates me more than when you don't do what's on your paper," Dial says angrily.
"You're confusing everybody," she says to child, who is sitting away from the circle of students, before adding that she is "very upset and very disappointed."
The video was secretly filmed in 2014 by an assistant teacher who wanted to lift the lid on the atmosphere that can be found in such schools and the harsh treatment that children endure in them on a daily basis. The New York Times published the video on Friday.
Joseph P. McDonald, a professor of teaching and learning at New York University, told the newspaper he would class Dial's behavior as "abusive teaching."
In 2015, Dial was promoted to "model teacher," meaning she would help train other teachers in the Success Academy network in New York, most of which are established in black, Hispanic, or poor areas.
While the school did suspend Dial, she was reinstated a week later, with a spokesperson for the school describing the video as an "anomaly," adding that it did not reflect the general school experience.
This is what the privatization of public education gets you. A charter school network that enables the abuse & neglect of some students.
โ Mikki Kendall (@Karnythia) February 12, 2016
This was echoed by Success Academy CEO Eva Moskowitz, a former City Council member, who branded the critics of the group as "haters".
"We must not allow the haters to bully us or stop us from re-imagining public education," Moskowitz wrote in a note sent to all Success Academy staff.
Comment: There's nothing wrong with re-imagining public education if it makes it better. What is happening in the above is not about imagination. It's not about "haters" or bullying, but part of a larger atmosphere of abusing young children that privatized education is going to engender, especially since the teacher was given a slap on the wrist for her cruel behavior. The CEO's attitude is despicable.
This is only the latest in a string of criticisms leveled at Success Academy and comes less than a month after thirteen parents filed a federal civil rights complaint against the network.
The lawsuit was lodged after it emerged that one Academy principal had been keeping a "got to go" list of unruly and special needs students he wanted removed from the school.
It was reported in January that the State University Charter School Institute, which licenses charter schools in New York, is to investigate the disciplinary and suspension policies of Success Academy.
In 2015, 35 percent of New York City children tested as proficient in math, whereas 93 percent of Success Academy students did. Similarly, 68 percent of Academy students tested as proficient in reading, compared to 30 percent citywide.
Former teachers of Success Academy have spoken about how much pressure is put on the children to perform at a high level, saying they are often punished or belittled in front of their classmates if they don't.
"There has to be misery felt for the kids who are not doing what is expected of them," a Success Academy employee said in 2012. Moskowitz defended the statement.
"That is part of our culture โ not having kids getting away with just not trying," she said.
Numerous students have reportedly wet themselves while doing practice tests, either because they felt pressured to complete the test first or because their teacher wouldn't let them use the toilet.
Look at the charter school descriptions for schools heading to low income areas sometime. Then look at the rules for juvie. Same thing.
โ Mikki Kendall (@Karnythia) February 12, 2016
Like other charter schools, a lot of the teachers are fresh out of college and not unionized. They usually endure 11-hour work days.
Facing enormous pressure to maintain high grades has a knock-on effect for teacher turnover, with three schools in the 2013/2014 academic year seeing over half of their teachers from the previous year moving on.
The network has argued that the rate is closer to 17 per cent, however, although this remains over 10% higher than the city's public school system average of 6.1 per cent.
A total of 34 public charter schools around New York are part of the Success Academy network, which received nearly $72 million in public funds and $22 million in donations in 2013.
A report released in April of 2015 found that over $1.4 billion may have been lost in the US' charter school sector through waste, fraud, and abuse.
"The vast majority of the fraud perpetrated by charter officials will go undetected because the federal government, the states, and local charter authorizers lack the oversight necessary to detect the fraud," the report reads.
[Link]
Doesn't Recommend
Disapproves of CEO
I worked at Success Academy Charter Schools full-time
Pros
Good starting pay for recent college graduates, a lot of room for growth within the company, lots of hands on work, you get an iPhone and a MacBook, depending on your school the staff can be really supportive and great (this was the case at my school, at least for the most part), SA has great programs (art, dance, music, sports, etc.) and top notch technology, lots of PD, the kids are seriously amazing
Cons
Where to begin? I witnessed a LOT of things that did not sit well with me at SA. During the first two weeks of school, everything was a mess. The behavioral expectations for these kids (k-4) are incredible. They're expected to be silent most of the day and are encouraged to keep a bubble in their mouth to help them stay silent. There's a lot of news about SA right now and how they counsel kids outs. I've seen it - it's true. The way leadership spoke about some of the kids and their parents/families was ridiculous. They also treat lower-income minority families like they are children. Kids peeing on themselves was a regular thing, and a lot of times it was because they weren't allowed to go to the bathroom. While most of the staff was nice, they had zero understanding of the communities they were serving. It was almost painful to watch. The hours are ridiculously long. Some teachers arrived by 6am and didn't leave until 7pm because there was just always work to be done. There is no lunch break. They're under so much pressure from Network but it's either they do what is required and expected of them or they lose their jobs. Everyone here is stressed out. They try to tell you that this crazy amount of work and dedication is necessary to do the work we are doing but you'll burn out quickly. Turn around is high for a reason. In the first three months of the school year, we lost 4 staff members. Also, there was no Special Ed teacher. There is most definitely an income and racial divide amongst campuses. A member of leadership has actually referred to the schools in affluent neighborhoods (Upper West, HK, Union Square, Williamsburg, etc.) as "white schools." There's so much more to say but I'll leave it at this because this is already entirely too long.Show Less
Advice to Management
Seriously, deal with the backlash you've been receiving in a constructive way. You are being sued and investigated! Really look into your practices and see what you're doing wrong. Stop suspending kids at the drop of the hat. If you're really trying to compete with private schools, there's no reason why SA students should be subjected to harsh "no excuses" policies when their peers at independent private schools can thrive in environments that have more room for learning at your own pace. Treat your employees with respect and let them have lives outside of work. Stop focusing on test scores and start focusing on mental and emotional wellness for your students who spend 8.5+ hours a day in your schools. Pointing the finger at other people for the fact that YOU'RE being criticized about your practices does nothing to improve the quality of the education and experience you are giving your students. Instead, take it in and look for ways to do better.
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