Do
charter schools—publicly funded schools that are freed from many state-and-local
regulations—routinely push out difficult kids? Does this undermine their overall
mission and purpose? Or is it a legitimate way to ensure a better education for
more students?
In October, The New York Times broke the story that a
principal at Success Academy, which is New York City's largest and most
successful charter network, targeted a group of students to be pushed out of his
school, maintaining a so-called Got-to-Go list. Success Academy's founder and
CEO, Eva Moskowitz, responded that the episode was a one-time mistake. As soon
as the Got-to-Go list came to her attention, Moskowitz says, she put a stop to
the practice and disciplined the principal.
Last week, a group of parents
filed a civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Education, accusing
the school of edging out students with disabilities and denying them
accommodations.
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