In cheering the mayor’s decision to take away space promised to three charter schools run by Eva Moskowitz — leaving hundreds of children without a school for next year — Bill de Blasio ally Bertha Lewis hailed it as justice: “Eva Moskowitz got away with murder for so long.”
Telling words indeed. Because what Eva Moskowitz “got away with” for so long was proving there are public schools in this city where black and Latino children learn and achieve. They are called charters.
You see, Eva’s public schools are based on excellence. Take Success Academy Harlem Central, one of the three Moskowitz-run schools targeted by de Blasio.
Ninety-seven percent of its students are children of color. Not only is it Harlem’s best middle school, last year its fifth graders ranked tops in the state for math. Here’s their reward: 210 students have just found themselves school-less for next year, with the local public alternatives being some of the lowest-performing middle schools in the state.
By targeting the public schools run by Moskowitz, the mayor clearly hopes to split the charter movement. But in so choosing, he revealed his true colors. Because he did not target one of the mediocre charters. Nor did he pretend he was taking away space from Eva’s kids because they weren’t learning.
To the contrary: De Blasio is taking the space away because these kids are learning. That’s a huge embarrassment to a mayor and his union allies who spend their time excusing public school failure rather than redressing it. So he’s taking it out on the kids. How nasty is that?
Imagine you are a single mom with a so-so job, an apartment in an iffy area and not much money. But your daughter is at a Harlem Success Academy, and you are happy because she is in a good school where she is learning and on the path to go to high school and college.
Now imagine the mayor has just pulled this rug out from under you, leaving your daughter to choose from schools that are all much worse than what she now has.
Gov. Cuomo, these kids need you.