Growing Charter School Chain Suspends Special Needs Kids in Bid to Raise Test Scores

[eridani]

http://www.nationofchange.org/juan-gonz-lez-growing-charter-school-chain-suspends-special-needs-kids-bid-raise-test-scores-1378049

Democracy Now! co-host Juan González discusses his reports for the New York Daily News about how one of the New York City’s fastest-growing chains of charter schools, Success Academy, has far higher suspension rates than other public elementary schools. "More than two dozen parents have come to me complaining about their children — who are special needs, special education children, or children with behavior problems," González reports, "that they feel are being pushed out or forced out by the charter school in an effort to to improve the test scores." Success Academy uses its high test scores to attract funding, and just secured a $5 million grant it will use to expand from 20 to 100 schools. González obtained a copy of secretly recorded meetings in which school administrators pressed one parent to transfer her special education kindergarten student back into the public school system.

[Smarmie Doofus]

1. One of many ways Obamacation *murders* Special Ed kids.

Here's another: http://paulvhogan.wordpress.com/2013/03/25/the-district-75-danielson-pilot-crash-burn-fizzle/

[Ilsa]

2. So much for a free and appropriate public education

for everyone. These bastards take public money, but don't carry their share of the expense of having more challenging education issues. Screw them.

[DrDan]

3. as I read this, I just knew there had to be a Jeb Bush connection - so I googled it and

lo and behold, on the VERY FIRST link I found this . . .

*******************************************
In this article in the New York Daily News, award-winning investigative journalist Juan Gonzalez examines the high suspension rates at the Harlem Success Academy charter schools of Eva Moskowitz.

Gonzalez writes:

“Success Academy, the charter school chain that boasts sky-high student scores on annual state tests, has for years used a “zero tolerance” disciplinary policy to suspend, push out, discharge or demote the very pupils who might lower those scores — children with special needs or behavior problems.

. . .
Were you invited to this cool party?

This was a soirée for the super-rich who support Eva Moskowitz’s charter schools. Those are the miracle schools that claim their students outperform the students in affluent Scarsdale.

Hedge fund manager Daniel S. Loeb was the honoree. He was surrounded by other hedge fund managers. They think they are Robin Hoods. They forget that the real Robin Hood stole from people like them.

Jeb Bush, Florida’s own Robin Hood was there. So was Merryl Tisch, chancellor of the New York Board of Regents. Chris Christie gave the keynote speech.

All celebrating Eva’s Success Academies. They are the very epitome of no-excuses, nonunion charters.

http://dianeravitch.net/category/harlem-success-academy/
*******************************************


Jeb also met with Rick Scott last weekend to discuss changes to Florida's education system - obviously with a goal of increasing educational success for all students . . . <sarcasm thingie>

*******************************************
After failing to show up at the three-day education summit he convened in Clearwater this week, Gov. Rick Scott held a private meeting in Miami on Thursday night to discuss the future of Florida's schools.

The guest list: former Gov. Jeb Bush, state Sen. John Thrasher and state Board of Education Chairman Gary Chartrand.

The dinnertime meeting was cloaked in extraordinary secrecy. Scott's schedule did not list a location other than "Miami, FL," and his chief spokeswoman, Melissa Sellers, couldn't provide any other details.

http://www.tampabay.com/news/education/gov-rick-scotts-private-meeting-with-jeb-bush-irks-parent-activists/2139063
*******************************************


These guys simply CANNOT wait to get their greed hands on the school's bundle of money . . . they are salivating at the thought.

[tclambert]

4. Well, it's more profitable to educate the "good" students.

Weed out the "poor" students and your school looks like it manufactures geniuses.

But what to do with the unwanted children your filtering system blocked from your school? Leave them for the schools of last resort--the Public (Socialist) Schools. Then you can point to their lousy test scores and call the Public Schools failures . . . and demand more money for your successful school.

[duffyduff]

5. More proof charter schools are private, NOT public, schools.

They all need to be shut down or at least have all taxpayer funds taken away from them.

[LWolf]

6. I'm SHOCKED, I tell you.