Harlem Success Charter leader: “I’m not a big believer in special ed"

[madfloridian]

And that is not all he said about those with learning disabilities or problems. This is truly alarming.

From the New York Daily News:

The Patron Saint (and Scourge) of Lost Schools

Based on available statistics, however, charter schools have fewer of these families, including the poorest of the poor. One problem with “school choice,” as writer-activist Jonathan Kozol noted, is that the “ultimate choices” tend to get made “by those who own or operate a school.” At stake is not just who gets in, but who stays in. Studies show “selective attrition” in the KIPP chain, among others, with academic stragglers—including those seen as disruptive or in need of pricey services—leaving in greater numbers. In one flagrant local example, East New York Preparatory discharged 48 students shortly before last year’s tests, among them seven poor-scoring third-graders. (Citing financial mismanagement, the Department of Education plans to revoke the school’s charter in June.)

At Harlem Success, disability is a dirty word. “I’m not a big believer in special ed,” Fucaloro says. For many children who arrive with individualized education programs, or IEPs, he goes on, the real issues are “maturity and undoing what the parents allow the kids to do in the house—usually mama—and I reverse that right away.” When remediation falls short, according to sources in and around the network, families are counseled out. “Eva told us that the school is not a social-service agency,” says the Harlem Success teacher. “That was an actual quote.”

In one case, says a teacher at P.S. 241, a set of twins started kindergarten at the co-located HSA 4 last fall. One of them proved difficult and was placed on a part-time schedule, “so the mom took both of them out and put them in our school. She has since put the calm sister twin back in Harlem Success, but they wouldn’t take the boy back. We have the harder, troubled one; they have the easier one.”

Harlem Success schools have the added benefit of the close friendship of their founder Eva Moskowitz and the school chancellor, Joel Klein.

Harlem charter school head emails show very special access to NY school chancellor


Lombard for News
Success Charter Network founder Eva Moskowitz and NYC Chancellor Joel Klein sharing a laugh during an event.

On Oct. 3, 2008, Eva Moskowitz, a former city councilwoman and head of four charter schools in Harlem, e-mailed schools Chancellor Joel Klein for help. Moskowitz wanted more space to expand her Harlem Success academies and she had two specific public school buildings in mind.

"Those schools are ps194 and ps241," she wrote to Klein. "It would be extremely helpful to move quickly on."

Less than two months later, the Department of Education announced plans to phase out those schools and use the space to expand two Harlem Success academies.

..."The note was among 125 e-mails between Moskowitz and the chancellor the Daily News obtained under a Freedom of Information request.

In spite of the school's view toward the disabled student, they get good treatment from the NY school authorities.

Anything for test scores, even denying that there are children with disabilities and handicaps. Zero tolerance.

Perhaps the most upsetting statement from the NY Daily News article is one by Eva Moskowitz:

“Eva told us that the school is not a social-service agency,” says the Harlem Success teacher. “That was an actual quote.”

Public schools take all students. They can not sit back and have the luxury of denying the existence of problems in learning.

Public schools must address the needs of all children.

Public schools ARE Social-Service agencies, in every way.