Friday’s court hearing on the lawsuit filed by the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) to block the co-location of two Success Academy charters was well-attended by frustrated parents who felt that their children’s interests were being overlooked. Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Lyle Frank has taken a stance against Success Academy, denying them any voice in the case. The UFT is seeking to prevent Success Academy from using space in a middle school in Far Rockaway and the Sheepshead Bay HS campus. The UFT argues that the Department of Education’s analysis of building use failed to consider the impact of the new law mandating smaller class sizes.
However, this argument is baseless. The class sizes at the two schools in question are already within the new class size limits, and their overall enrollments have been declining. This means that there is currently plenty of room and will be in the foreseeable future. Furthermore, since the implementation of the class-size law will be gradual and Success Academy only plans to expand slowly by adding new grades, there is ample time to make adjustments if the long-term trends suddenly reverse.
The UFT’s claim that the Department of Education overlooked the impact of the new law is at best a technicality and more likely just another attempt by the union to hinder Success Academy. Success Academy has successfully overcome numerous lawsuits from the union in the past, which is why the UFT convinced the judge to prevent the charter network from participating in the case directly, even though it is clearly the real target. Unfortunately, the Department of Education often falls short in its battles against the UFT.
Mayor Eric Adams and Chancellor David Banks have followed the legally-mandated process to approve these co-locations, considering the needs of all students and families, both from Success Academy and the Department of Education. The UFT’s interests are not under threat here; they simply want to eliminate every charter school they can. The UFT resents Success Academy’s decade-long track record of providing high-quality education to predominantly black and Latino students from low-income families because it showcases what can be achieved in a well-managed public school. It is important to note that charter schools are indeed public schools, open to any New York City family through a lottery system. Their independence from the UFT and the Department of Education bureaucracy is crucial to their success.
The lawsuit is only causing unnecessary anxiety for Success Academy parents whose children are slated to attend the newly co-located schools. With Judge Frank expected to deliver a decision in the fall, these parents will spend the summer in a state of uncertainty. One parent, Chanee Mitchell, expressed her frustration, stating, “It’s outrageous and ridiculous. The UFT is working against the parents and the students.” Unfortunately, this behavior from the UFT is nothing new. As their own schools continue to fail their students while charter schools thrive, we can expect their bullying tactics to become even more extreme and transparent.
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