Eva Moskowitz may be working tirelessly on behalf of the city’s kids, but plainly it’s not enough.
Last week, her Success Academy charter-school network got the OK to open 14 new public charters. That’s great, but it still leaves thousands of children in the lurch.
Think about it: Applicants to good charters far exceed the number of open seats. This year, Success had to turn away 13,000 kids. To accommodate those 13,000, Eva would need 65 new Success Academies, not 14.
Citywide, we’d need 250 charters to make space for the 50,000 now on wait-lists.
Yes, we know it’s tough to open charters, given that the mayor and teachers union hate them. Their main excuse is that the city lacks space. But there’s an easy answer: Instead of just opening new charters, we should be closing failing schools, too.
At 371 traditional district schools, 90 percent of the kids aren’t passing math and English.
Why not give the space to Success, where 94 percent of elementary kids passed math and 64 percent English?
Parents are already fleeing the lousy schools. Of the 371, those in districts where Success plans new charters saw enrollment drop 36 percent over the past 10 years.
Albany will also have to raise the cap on the number of charters allowed in the city (or, better, scrap it altogether). Under current law, just 28 more can open here.
Clearly, moms and dads are voting with their feet: They’re fleeing schools run by the city bureaucracy and praying for a seat in a good charter.
Instead of haggling with Eva and other successful charter leaders over each additional school, the city should be encouraging them to step up their game.