Statement From Khari Shabazz, Principal at Success Academy Harlem West on Mayoral Control Hearing
May 19, 2016
Contact: Dan Bank, (212) 681-1380
New York, NY—The following is a statement from Khari Shabazz, Principal at Success Academy Harlem West:
“The 300 black and brown children in my school are smashing stereotypes: achieving extraordinary academic results and developing amazing talents. It’s happening across the Success Academy network and that’s why parents are flocking to charter schools, why there are 43,000 children on the city’s wait list. Yet last year, Mayor de Blasio opposed lifting the charter cap, opposed giving more parents a choice for their child, and opposed giving more children opportunity.
“With great power, comes great responsibility: if mayoral control is to truly to serve all of New York City’s school children it must not be turned into a political wedge against a few children, whose parents simply want to be able to choose the school that is best for their child. It is important that all voices are heard in the debate surrounding the extension of Mayoral Control.”
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ABOUT SUCCESS ACADEMY CHARTER SCHOOLS
Founded in 2006, Success Academy Charter Schools are free public pre-k through 12 schools open to all children in the state through a random lottery. With 34 schools across Brooklyn, the Bronx, Manhattan, and Queens, Success Academy enrolls 11,000 students, primarily low-income children of color in disadvantaged neighborhoods: 74% of students receive free or reduced-price lunch, 95% are children of color, 15% are children with disabilities, and 8.5% are English language learners. Two Success Academy schools, Success Academy Harlem 1 and Harlem 3, have been honored as National Blue Ribbon Schools by the U.S. Department of Education, the only Harlem schools in the last 25 years to receive this prestigious award.
For more information about Success Academy, go to successaccademies.org and virtualtour.successacademies.org.
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