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meet the parent
November 3, 2009
A charter school parent gains prominence as loyal opposition
Mona Davids and her daughter, a sixth grade student at Equality Charter School in Co-op City. (Photo courtesy of Mona Davids.)
A Bronx parent who went from charter school foe to cheerleader in under a year is now at the middle of a debate over how to organize charter school parents.
Mona Davids has rapidly gone from being an unknown public school parent in Co-op City to being known by key players in the debate over charter schools and among the highest ranks of the Department of Education. She pops up everywhere from charter school board meetings and charter renewal hearings to district Community Education Council gatherings. She was even featured in a television advertisement for Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s reelection campaign, in which she blasted rival William Thompson’s education record.
A year ago, Davids was on the other side of the battle. As co-president of the parent association of P.S. 160 in the Bronx, she broke the news that the DOE was considering putting a new charter school, Equality Charter School, in the same building. Davids, whose daughter attended the district school, initially helped lead parent protests against siting the charter school there.
But after learning more about Equality Charter, Davids suddenly reversed course, sent in her daughter’s application to the charter school and began helping the charter recruit other students.
As she began to organize parents for Equality Charter School, Davids said that she recognized a flaw in the way charter schools are set up in New York City. Davids was accustomed to working within the structures set up by the Department of Education to involve parents in traditional public schools, mechanisms like School Leadership Teams, Community Education Councils and District Family Advocates.
“In the charter school system, we don’t have any of that,” Davids said. She began searching for organizations to help support parent involvement in charter schools, finding options in Massachusetts, California and Idaho, but nothing in New York.
“I was really surprised that parents didn’t have a voice,” she said.
Davids founded the New York City Charter Parents Association in May and next week, she will launch the Charter Parent Training Academy.
The training program is designed to replicate her own organizing strategies among other charter school parents. She’s starting small, sitting down with six charter school parents from schools around the city three days a week for three months. She intends to train them how to conduct parent meetings, incorporate their schools’ parent groups as non-profits, fund-raise and request member items for their schools from their legislators.
Charter school parents need to double as lobbyists, Davids said, and she wants to teach them the trade. She wants to train the parents how to advocate for changes to state education law that limit per-pupil funding for charter schools and ban charters from receiving public funding for their own school buildings.
For all her vocal support of charter schools, Davids said that she knows the system isn’t perfect, and she doesn’t intend to be quiet about her criticisms.
“I am a supporter of charter schools, but we have serious issues,” she said. “The grievance process doesn’t work. Something needs to be done, but right now the charter system doesn’t have district family advocates. Every system must have checks and balances.”
Davids, who is on leave from her job as head of the consulting firm Azania Holdings, said she funded her work at the Parent Association by herself until this week, when she received her first outside donation. She refused to identify the donor, saying only that the donation is from a philanthropist acting as a private individual. The donation will be used to provide a stipend for the six parents participating in the training academy, which will be held during daytime hours, Davids said.
With her tall frame and command of a microphone, many have looked at Davids and seen a natural politician. Davids makes advocates on both side of the charter debate a bit nervous. To charter school opponents, Davids may be the harbinger of a grassroots support movement in New York, the lack of which has occasionally been a sore spot in the charter school movement. To charter school advocates, she is not an unconditional friend.
“I’m not a paid flak, I’m a parent,” she said. “We are not puppets of the charter school movement; we are not puppets of the anti-charter school movement. This association was born out of a fight for equal access to a quality education for all students.”
Davids said that because of her interest in educational equity, one of the main goals of her group is to “bridge this huge divisive gap” between charter school parents and parents of traditional public school students.
Her ability to bridge that gap is still unproven. Several P.S. 160 parents I spoke to who fought against the siting of Equality Charter Schools said they still feel betrayed by her for switching sides in that debate. And Davids’ involvement in other charter school siting battles, notably at P.S. 15 and PAVE Academy in Red Hook, has garnered much attention, some of it extremely critical.
Davids said that she would like to find common ground with the charter school opponents who have dubbed her “Moaning Mona.” Her suggested starting place? Charter school facilities funding.
“If they don’t want charter schools in the building, will they please help us get construction funding for new schools?” she said.
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November 3rd, 2009 10:55 pm
So, Space Wars has a new battlefront: Capital Plan Wars.
As I understand, in the rest of the state, charters and traditionals do not have to share buildings. In NYC, they do — but only to the degree the current (and hopefully for not many minutes more) administration keeps INJECTING charters into the Public School buildings.
Given the Bloomberg administration would rather build prisons and a police academy the size of WTC and Pier 40 COMBINED, and the only blurb on Candidate Bloomberg’s site re education is EXCLUSIVELY about charters — it’s a less-than-zero sum game.
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November 3rd, 2009 11:31 pm
This is a great development for both traditional and charter schools. The fact that Mona is going to organize parents as advocates is something that everyone should agree on. Her point at hte end of the article is actually a profound political strategy. For every zoned school that dosen’t want a charter in their building or claims they are overcrowded, there should be an equal cry for public charters to recieve capital funding in equal proportion. That seems like a win-win-win. Kids, traditionals, and charters. Keep it up Mona, without struggle there is no progress.
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November 3rd, 2009 11:36 pm
Good for her! she wants a great school for her daughter and she’s organizing parents to make it happen. isn’t that what democracy is all about! People will critque her organization and method only because they’re charter parents, but when traditional public school parents do the same they’re cheered as champions of children. All data shows that charter parents are actually lower income and more black/latino than traditional schools both in NYC and the country, and yet they’re accused of creaming all the time. Just let the parents choose where their kids go to school and parents will make the right choice every time!
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November 4th, 2009 8:25 am
[...] $600M for schools (Detroit News) N.Y. — No child left behind (Wall Street Journal) N.Y. — A charter school parent gains prominence as loyal opposition (Gotham Schools) N.Y. — NYSUT needs to start supporting charter schools (Buffalo News) N.Y. — [...]
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November 4th, 2009 12:28 pm
Thanks for the link to Ed Notes. In case you didn’t go there, to see Moaning Mona’s divisiveness and self-serving make sure to see the video of her speech attacking the teachers at PS 15 that I linked to at: http://ednotesonline.blogspot.com/2009/10/ps-15-teacher-calls-on-moaning-mona.html. Also follow the eloquent responses of the teachers to Mona’s moaning.
Of course she won’t reveal the funding source. Or business ties to the Bloomberg administration. Or that the big funders have been behind the creation of charter school parent groups around the nation to become a lobbying force in their privatization movement.
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November 4th, 2009 8:58 pm
It’s time to tell the truth about Mona Davids..Mona asks questions in a system that doesn’t have answers, Mona advocates for parents in a culture of keeping parents out, Mona has the nerve to volunteer more hours per week than salaried people work in a month, Mona really was self serving as she designed and funded an informative website about charter schools, AND she actually had the nerve to travel around the city at her own expense, on her personal time, at great sacrifice to her family…..to stand by parents and educators who wanted to provide access and equity to inner city kids.
Don’t worry about Mona-keep spreading lies about her funding source and relationship to Mayor Bloomberg and eventually you, yourself might believe it.
Don’t you really wish you had her guts, her courage and her dedication??? -
November 4th, 2009 9:41 pm
Mona represents the big “secret” to a good education: the involved parent. “Everyone” knows this, but the politicians can’t say it out loud.
I’ll say it: Mona, I don’t know if you’ll help or hinder the charter movement, but I’m certain of this: Your child will probably get an excellent education and you will be able to take most of the credit.
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November 11th, 2009 8:59 pm
GEM is attempting to undermine the success of charters in our city. They argue about losing space, yet fail to accept that most NYC public schools fail to educate children of color, keep parents out in the life of the school. It is the charter school movement that gives parents a choice. The claim that charters are not held accountable only proves the stupidity of the GEM folk. Charter schools must outperform their host district, must maintain a minimum 90% attendance, must have a thorough annual financial audit and are up for renewal every 5 years. Meanwhile, DoE schools can be identified as SURR, re-organization, etc, etc for years while teachers get raises, receive tenure and have the protection of the UFT.
NYC DoE teachers should spend more time teaching and less time complaining about competition. Mona Davids is the one who stands up against those who would continue to keep our children down. -
February 2nd, 2010 2:44 am
The more I research you Ms Davids the more I understand your motive. Its becoming clear to me . See you wednesday . I will be well prepared with my questions to you !!!
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February 26th, 2010 5:45 pm
I have had converstions with Ms. Davids after she contacted me through a mutual friend. My initial response was a positive one. I agreed that parents needed a voice and agreed to work with Ms. davids to attain that goal. Subsequently, time has shown that for a person who calls for transparency for Charter Schools is very opaque ,when answering in my opinion, very general questions. I asked Ms. Davids who her Parents Association board consisted of,(Vice President,Secy, treasurer, etc.). where her by-laws could be found and when would there be elections. Since she approached me to become a board member I inquired on more than one occasion when a meeting was going to be held. Ms Davids response to those questions were defensive, evasive and quite offensive. They left me with the impression that although the concerns she raises may have some legitamacy, her motives are suspect. Ms. Davids is a savvy business woman, she should be able to answer at the least, general questions when it comes to her organization. Parents need voices, there is room for converstions on different strategies and opinions. Lets all be sure as to who we have speaking for us. Political aspirations should not be built, using our children as the stepping stone. The last thing we need in a Charter Parent movement is for someone whose personal agenda is in the forefront NYCPA appears to have become an organization of one voice, and that voice cannot be questioned. I hope my instincts prove incorrect, the movement is to important.
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February 26th, 2010 11:22 pm
S. Davis, I see that you have been sipping CPAN kool aide. NYCPA is a true “grass roots” organization unlike the “astroturfing” parent association Jeff Maclin has created. My I remind you that they are the paid organizers not Mona Davids. You are correct on speaking on Ms. Davids savvyy nature, she was smart enough to start the ONLY independent parent organization to empower parents of charter school children. On CPAN website there mission clearly states th
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February 26th, 2010 11:38 pm
CPAN MISSION STATEMENT STATES THAT THEY WANT TO ENSURE THAT THE VOICE OF PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOLS PARENTS IS HEARD ON POLICY AND FISCAL ISSUES! I HAVE YET TO COME ACROSS WHERE IT DISCUSS THE RIGHTS OF THE CHARTER STUDENT OR PARENT! IT’S TRUE THE MOVEMENT IS AN IMPORTANT, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THE ACTUAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS ARE MEET OF OUR CHILDREN THAT ARE IN CHARTER SCHOOLS, NOT THE FINANCIAL NEEDS OF GROUPS SUCH AS CPAN OR THE SUPPOSED EDUCATIONAL LEADERS THAT SEE DOLLAR SIGNS ABOVE OUR CHILDREN’S HEAD INSTEAD OF A BRIGHT FUTURE!
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February 26th, 2010 11:50 pm
In response to S.Davis - you obviously don’t know what you’re talking about when it comes to NYCPA. Stop being a hater and uncle tom!
NYCPA empowered me, educated me on my rights and stood by me as I fought my charter school leaders when they were trying to push my child out because he had an IEP and they didn’t want to provide his services. NYCPA parent leaders including Mona comforted and supported me and my child. Every time I called them they were there. When i visited their downtown brooklyn office, they introduced me to other parents whose kids were being pushed out because they were special ed or ELL.
Why don’t you stop being a puppet for the center and James Merriman with their charter parent advocacy network (CPAN) or as we call it charter puppets astroturf network.
Shame on you s.davis for helping the white millionnaires, hedge fund billionnaires, walmart, broad, gates undermine a parent association that is actually helping us and our children. Thank goodness there are people like Mona with integrity and values. Were it up to you we’d still be slaves.
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February 27th, 2010 12:27 am
This is hilarious. How dumb is the charter movement? Extremely dumb and stupid. all that money the anti-union charter center is making must be clouding their judgement.
I’ve had the pleasure (being sarcastic) of attending a hearing where Mona Davids has spoken, specifically, the PS15 and PAVE hearing. As a parent, I was offended and angry when she said that charters have a right to space in our public school building. But, when I thought about it I realized she has a point. The PAVE parents lived in our community too. Mona really stood up for the PAVE parents.
This is why I think it’s hilarious that they’re now trying to undermine her. One thing we do know is that Mona isn’t afraid of anyone - teachers, school leaders, UFT, DoE and charter center.
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February 27th, 2010 12:54 am
NYCPA, is a well respected organization. Mona is well respected amongst charter parents, community organization and elected officials. Mona has represented many parents that have children being pushed out the charter school system due to their disabilities. The only people that have a problem with Mona and her organization is CPAN, F.Y.I is ran by the Charter Center not by parents. ITS TIME FOR CHANGE !!! YOU HAD 10 YEARS TO DO WHAT MONA HAS DONE IN 10 MONTHS. NYCPA IS RUN BY PARENTS!!!!! SO …. PARENTS HAVE A TRUE VOICE!! MONA REPRESENTS ME!!!
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February 27th, 2010 12:54 am
New York Charter Parents Association is the only true INDEPENDENT parent organization. I have become actively invovled with this organization because NYCPA supports the need of the parents/children that of whom are the true stake holders unlike CPAN whose stake holders are school leaders and their board of trustees. Is CPAN an independent organization? If so I would like to see their by laws and meet their board members. I have personally helped charter parents when their charters schools were trying to push or “counsel out ” their children. It was NYCPA at the heaings at Livingston Street, where was CPAN? I can tell you, they were no where to be found. CPAN in not for the parents or by the parents. They are an organization that organizes parents to fight for funding for charter schools, nothing more, nothing less! So before anyone continues to question the motives of NYCPA or that of Mona Davids, please do your research. I’m quite sure that you will find more that enough information that will distinguish the real INDEPENDENT charter parent organization from that of the fake! CPAN was created and is runned by the New York City Charter Center!
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February 27th, 2010 1:31 am
All the schools voted on by the PEP to share space with a charter must follow PS15’s example. Call Advocates for Children and reveiw with them the DoE’s procedures in siting the charter school in your building. I guarantee you that PS15 is not the only school where the DoE didn’t comply with the school governance law.
Chancellor Klein doesn’t care about neighborhood schools. He only cares about charters. All parents at affected schools should follow suit with PS15.
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February 27th, 2010 4:11 am
If she is for parents, then why would she conduct herself in a manner that is really not fit for a lead person in the company she has started. I believe it is a .org but you all know what that means in the charter school world ;-)..shhhh … lotsa money to be made…shhh.
Can we see her screaming and ranting at PS 15 once again? Let the evidence stand, Moaning Mona is not what she appears to be. -
February 27th, 2010 9:27 am
In response to Moaning Mona Is A Joke, you must not have self respect if you as an adult cannot address an another adult by their proper name. Yes she spoke at the PS15 and may point out if you review the video clips she was not screaming. Due to the crowd being so loud she had no choice but to project her voice. There is no money that is being made NYCPA or by Ms. Davids, it’s a true independent parent organization unlike CPAN which is a for profit organization runned by PAID officials which has a PAID charter school parent leader. I’m sorry that you view some that is passionate about ensuring that not only charter students but that ALL students receive a quaility education! If you deem that as Mona being unfit to lead the organization she started why don’t you come out from the woods and start a INDEPENDENT grass roots organization. Or maybe you’ll decided to start an organization like CPAN and get paid to preach and coach charter parents rather than informing them of their rights!
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February 27th, 2010 9:42 am
I knew this was the response my post was going to get…however no one has addressed any of the issues i presented. Again, any and every organization, as in the Civil Rights movement has a right to participate in advocacy. My only concern is that we dont move forward emotion driven as opposed to informed and always questioning to make good choices and decisions. Oh, I do sip Kool Aide but I know the flavor. LOL. I suggest strongly that you do the same.
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February 27th, 2010 10:07 am
Mona speaks truth to power. That is why NYCPA (and Mona) is being attacked. How about the issues she raises.?Isn’t that what is important. Isnt a voice for charter and district parents who want to work together what is key here? She is a volunteer and does not have support that PTA’s in schools have or paid staff such as mentioned by the other comment. Why not focus on what Mona and NYCPA are saying. Do you disagree with them? If not, then why is anything else being raised.
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February 27th, 2010 10:22 am
as a footnote, i never mentioned cpan in my post but i see many of you have and guess what ,please ask questions of them as well, ask questions of everyone and everything that concerns parents and who speak for them. i really do not see the issue in working with ANY or multiple groups that will help educate our children. I also stated that many of NYCPA issues are worthy of discussion. Division was not my goal just good communication and understandings.
name calling is a deflection lets stick to the issues.Peace
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February 27th, 2010 11:13 am
S Davis may I ask how long you have been advocating for the rights if the charter school child/parent? I am overall supporter of public schools as well as public options. The charter school movement is that of one in which there is alot of interest at stake. Interest meaning that there are for profit companies hiding under these non for profit education corporations. I then wondered how there’s been 10 of charter school existence without a charter parent voice? Then I seen that Mona Davids started an inpendent parent organization. And with my research I found that this was a truly independent organization that was not being funded by any hedge fund money. Then I researched other advocacy charter organizations including that of CPAN and felt that they were not about informing parents but rather scripting of what my concerns should be. So I am true believer in being an informed of the issues at hand and asking thorough questions. However I only work with organizations that are unbias and truly have the concerns on educating our children not those that pose and want to enhance their pockets on our childrens expense.
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February 27th, 2010 12:26 pm
very concerned Charter Parent: I have been advocating for charter schools for 7 years, including but not limited to lifting charter caps to ensuring parents know their rights. Organizations that promote those concepts are essential. Without Advocacy for legislatures to lift caps promote facilities funding, and co habitation in public school buildings etc etc.. charter schools will find themselves at stand still and possibly extinction. Existing Charter school parents who have issues in their schools also need a voice. I will reiterate ALL voices need to be heard,and should be able to work together for the common good, our children. My only concern is that often we feel that leaders are beyond reproach and when we are left holding the bag we feel betrayed. After you have done your research and are fully satisfied with your findings and conscience then by all means follow it. It may be that the concerns i have expressed may not be of interest to you, that if personally you found your relationship fufilling then thats all you need to know.I do not believe that asking questions is the same as attacking someone. Yes Ms Davids began her own Parents Association, Yes she utilizes her own time, but does that mean that when questioned she feels that she is being attacked! NO! when asked questions she should be able to answer this is a parent organization and if it is truly for parents by parents then any parent should be able to ask viable questions and get answers. i look at the bigger picture and wonder, so i had to express my concerns and share them .I wrote my post after long thought because i was certain that this kind of response would happen however after becoming a member of NYCPA and subsequently raising issues that concerned me I found myself in unprovoked hostile territory.I will say no parent should be afraid of administrators, teachers unions or organizers everyone learn to speak up for yourself dont be initmidated. Educate and arm yourself with knowledge. laws and policies can be found on the internet, in libraries it is public knowledge, the more you know the better decisions you can make for yourself. I still dont understand why the conversation went to CPAN, but i guess it is easier to deflect than address issues.. I dont recall CPAN ever mentioning NYCPA positively or negativeley.
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February 27th, 2010 1:17 pm
Charter Billionaires: We have a crisis. Charter parents are starting to ask questions about how we’re managing charter schools. They asking for transparency and accountability. They even asking that we educate special ed and ELL students. We need to put a stop to this immediately.
Charter school leaders: Yes, this is a crisis. Well, we were successful at pitting district parents and charter parents against each other. We have them fighting one another. We can’t allow these parents to interfere with our charter school businesses. We’re gaining market share. There’s too much money to be made from all the black and hispanic children.
Charter Billionaires: Well, since it’s NYCPA educating and fighting for parents and students rights. Why not use the same strategy we used pitting charter parents against district parents but instead let’s use charter parents to undermine NYCPA.
Charter school leaders: That’s brilliant. We’ll start having charter parents we can control disparage NYCPA. We can’t do it directly so let’s use them.
Charter Billionaires: Yes, that’s the way to go. After all, how dare these black and hispanic parents charter parents ask us any questions.
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February 27th, 2010 1:38 pm
WOW it is real sad that folks cannot believe people cannot have their own opinion and voice it. shame on you Charter Profiter conversation. Oh, Black and Latino Parents are smart enough to be able to question everything and everybody and suggesting that they shouldnt should be a insult to everyone of us.
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February 27th, 2010 1:53 pm
S. Davis no one is deflecting from the issues at hand and I do see the big picture as well. NYCPA has done nothing more than educate and empower the parents if charter children. I am not sure what your intentions are but if you have been an advocate for charters is the past seven years I would love for you to inform me if the organizations that you have affiliated yourself with and any publications that I can read that indicates your position if the charter school movement. Just keep in mind that if our public schools were not failing that they would not be the need for charter schools. Did you equate that in vision of the big picture? Do you see that things such as co-locations are pinning blacks/latinos against other blacks/latinos which is creating a toxic enviroment in our communities? I have never had a sense of
hostile enviroment when dealing with NYCPA, or any other parent in the organization. I have and will continue to educate myself on education law and policy that ensure that ALL children receive a great education(including special needs/ ELL students that charters are not properly serving) not the just the selective few that by chance get in through a lottery . So have you truly seen the bigger picture S. Davis? FYI, CPAN only started after NYCPA but yet the Charter center has
existed for many years . Why is that? These are some of the questions you should ask yourself -
February 27th, 2010 2:10 pm
s davis,
The issue is not that charter school parents are being “manipulated” or “brainwashed.” The issue is that people’s rights and interests - their right to a quality education for their children, and the interests that follow from that - are being cynically pitted against each other by people who have their own self-interested agendas.
No one questions the right of charter school parents to get the best possible education for their children. The issue is the undemocratic diversion of resources through backdoor dealings, as the emails between Klein and Moskowitz confirm, from some schools to others.
Charter schools, by their definition, are not for the entire neighborhood community. That does not in and of itself make them bad. But when resources are taken from one needy group and given to others because of the political juice and financial interests of some players, that’s plain wrong. It’s one thing to say, “I’ve got mine, you get yours,” as many charter operators are urging parents to do. It’s quite another to say, “To get mine, I’ll take yours.”
And where were these outside “saviors” when the schools of Harlem and other inner city neighborhoods were being denied adequate resources for decades? That they were denied them is a fact that was upheld by NY State’s highest court on the CFE lawsuit. Where were Klein, Bloomberg and all the rest during those many dark years for the schools? And why did they suddenly become so passionate about education at the exact time that a corporate agenda to private everything in sight was emerging? While some children may be receiving a quality education at some charter school, in the bigger scheme of things it means less for the majority.For these people, it’s not about education, it’s about power and control. As Moskowitz wrote to Klein, in a rare moment of honesty, “Whatever legal arguments, this is a power and public relations struggle…”
The UFT, for all its shortcomings, has always been a voice for increased funding for the schools, all schools. And because the unions are the last institution standing in the way of this hostile takeover of public education, they must be turned into the Bad Guy, and neutralized or destroyed.
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February 27th, 2010 2:23 pm
I found this comment thread very interesting. As a supporter of public education, I found myself curious about the New York Charter Parents Association and it’s founder Ms. Davids. So, I searched on Gotham Schools’ website and all I found was positive articles about NYCPA and Ms. Davids. The most telling Gotham Schools article that pretty much made me a supporter of Ms. Davids and NYCPA’s efforts is below. This article says it all and Ms. Davids doesn’t mince her words either. You go girl!!!!
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November 9, 2009To win over Albany, charter advocates begin organizing parents
by Anna PhillipsBurned by Albany funding cuts, charter school advocates are turning to a political base that they’ve long left untapped: parents.
In mid-October, a dozen charter school administrators gathered in a conference room at the Times Square Marriott for a seminar on the role of parents in charter school advocacy. Kenneth Peterson, a director of strategic partnerships at the New York State Charter School Association told the group that the charter school movement has a secret problem: it has almost no grassroots parent advocacy.
New York State’s political climate had changed, Peterson explained. Last year, legislators froze the amount of money that charter schools receive for each student they teach, effectively cutting their budgets. A fragile majority of charter school supporters in the State Senate made it imperative for charter school advocates to win over individual senators, rather than relying on friendships with a few party leaders.
“Crisis has a way of galvanizing folks around the need to act,” said Jeff Maclin, vice president for school advocacy at the New York City Charter School Center. “I think the ‘freeze’ in education funds to public charter schools this year was a wake up call to schools to make sure something like this does not happen again.”
For years, the Center has piled hundreds of parents onto buses and driven them to Albany for lobby day, but the conversations with lawmakers were brief and easily forgotten.
Now the Center is creating the Charter Parents Advocacy Network, or CPAN, an organization that Maclin said will familiarize parents with the legislative and financial problems their schools face and turn them into political activists. The goal is to have parents know what issues are important to charter schools’ success, have their legislators on speed dial and show up at community education council meetings ready to hold their own against charter school opponents.
Though the Center’s website says CPAN is “by parents, of parents, and for parents,” the group was launched by the Center and Maclin is currently recruiting charter school parents to lead the group.
“I think it’s a very smart move on their part to do it,” said Leonie Haimson, executive director of the non-profit Class Size Matters. “They need to look like they’re grassroots even though no one believes they are.”
The question of whether an “authentic” advocacy movement can grow around charter schools has long been in thorn in advocates’ side. Speaking to charter school administrators, Peterson warned them of the dangers of “astroturfing” — creating the appearance of a grassroots movement, while paid organizers direct the activism.
A number of charter schools do have politically active parent organizations. Democracy Prep Charter School, the Success Charter Network schools, and Renaissance Charter School are all well-known for their ability to mobilize parents to fight for their claims to space and public funding.
“I hate to say it, but I don’t know that many schools that are doing that much with their parents,” said Stacey Gauthier, the principal at Renaissance Charter School in Jackson Heights, Queens.
“Charter school parents need to be out there going, ‘I’m not going to vote for you if you don’t support my school.’ I think district school parents are more organized than charter school parents, for sure,” she said.
Getting charter school parents to be politically active has been difficult in part because up until the last few years, there haven’t been that many of them, Maclin said. There are now almost 100 charter schools in New York City.
Another obstacle has been school administrators, Gauthier said. Principals running one- or two-year-old schools find organizing and educating parents “daunting,” she said, as well as somewhat risky.
“You never quite know — are my parents now going to think they’re educational experts? Can I manage that?” Gauthier said. “People often don’t see the value in really have people being involved and engaged.”
Peter Murphy, policy director for the New York State Charter Schools Association, said the organization is trying to get the message to parents and school leaders that politics matter.
“What we try to get across is that it’s a political process that made this a reality for your child and it’s the political process that can take it away,” he said. “Therefore, it’s incumbent for parents and all stakeholders to be politically active.”
That message has reached at least one parent loud and clear. Mona Davids, whose daughter attends Equality Charter School, founded the New York Charter Parents Association last spring. Davids’ stated political goals for her group include lifting the state’s charter cap and getting equal funding for charter schools, aims she shares with other charter advocates. What sets her apart, she says, is her independence.
“Unlike the school leaders, unlike the DOE, unlike NYCSA, unlike the Center, we are not professionals paid to be doing this by people with other interests,” she said. “We are going to do what is best for our kids.”
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February 27th, 2010 3:16 pm
I am painfully aware of the educational disparity among urban youth and their suburban counterparts which spawned the Charter initiative,giving people the opportunity to address the decline of educacation in our public school system. It became an outcry for parents to have a choice for thier children if their zoned and neighborhood schools were failing, overcrowded taught by many teachers who were just passing thru until their real profession of choice came thru. that is a good question where were all of these people when the public education system was spiraling down to 50% graduation rates and many children who did graduate did not have adequate reading and math skills. Now lets bring in the issue of Black and Latino parents, could it be that no one cared because the majority of these students fell into this racial profile, maybe all the hoopla now is because gentrification has taken hold to many neighborhoods and now public education is on the tips of everyones lips, needing reform. I will say again and again i do not take issue with anyone questioning the status quo.valid issues need to be addressed I just question the messenger and her motives. thats it no more no less as i said before i pray my instincts turn out to be incorrect. the movement is too important. have a good weekend everyone the struggle continues.
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February 27th, 2010 3:34 pm
MF, those Klein/Moskowitz emails aren’t back door or back room dealings. They are publicly available, thanks Juan Gonzalez for FOILing, requests by Eva Moskowitz for support.
You can email the chancellor too, and ask him anything you want. I don’t recall seeing any deals being brokered behind anyone’s back in those emails.
Of course if your lenses are crap-colored, then all you’ll see is crap.
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February 27th, 2010 5:08 pm
KS, Do you feel that there was nothing wrong with the emails between Klein/Moskowitz ? From your above comment I imagine you don’t. Maybe you have secured outside state funding via Klein. Last time I checked Chancellor Klein is paid by public not by charters. Isn’t that way charters have autonomy KS?
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February 27th, 2010 5:10 pm
KS, Do you feel that there was nothing wrong with the emails between Klein/Moskowitz ? From your above comment I imagine you don’t. Maybe you have secured outside state funding via Klein. Last time I checked Chancellor Klein is paid by public not by charters. Isn’t that why charters have autonomy KS?
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February 27th, 2010 6:04 pm
Nothing wrong with those emails. Klein has done nothing for me that he hasn’t done for any other charter school - and there has been no back room deal. Do you see even a hint of a back room deal in those emails between Moskowitz and Klein? Where? Facts please.
I see a charter operator pleading her case…and a chancellor responding. I don’t see anything inappropriate.
You’re so angry (the good Lord above only knows what about) that you can’t distinguish between a legitimate request for resources and the machinations of corrupt politicians.
“Give me what I want, and I’ll deliver you votes.” That’s Tammany-speak, or perhaps the UFT. Did you see that in the emails?
Please, back up your angry rhetoric with specific quotes from those emails that you found inappropriate. Don’t just tell me what you find objectionable - you can’t always get your way - tell me what you find that’s illegal or unethical.
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February 27th, 2010 8:46 pm
You know only if you were there.
Moaning Mona did scream at the PS 15 PTA. Then she gave some nice big smiles to the Pave community as she walked away. Hey Mona, the PS 15 community pays taxes too.
She accused the PS 15 staff of not being part of the community. Can you believe that? Little does she know several live in Red Hook, many were born in and around Red Hook. Meanwhile, Mona gets out of Brooklyn real fast and returns to her home… I am not sure… Mona, you live in the Bronx, correct? And you come to blame the PS 15 staff of not being part of the community and not caring, and you blame us for leaving for our homes? This lady is full of ……! BIG TIME! Do not let Mona fool you; she divides parents and school communities just as much as Bloomberg, Klein and the DOE. -
February 27th, 2010 10:00 pm
In response to Moaning Mona Screams- Have you been alert this week? NYCPA is reaching out to both district and charter school parents to unite. It was the DOE, not NYCPA that has approved the co-location. It is the DOE and CPAN fuelling the fight that is pitting district parents against charter parents. On Tuesday February 24, 2009 NYCPA and CEJ joined voices to unite ALL public school parents. And to be factual the building is property of the DOE and they are the ones that decide who is housed in that building, whether its PS 15, PAVE, or any other school of their liking. They have made it in such a way that us parents to dont have a say on what goes on in our community schools but yet we are the ones that are fighting with one another. Where should the children of PAVE go? They are members of the community as well. Lets focus on the bigger picture here. ALL children deserve a quality education. We need to place the heat on DOE and organizations such as CPAN that are benefiting from the charter school movement!
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February 27th, 2010 10:19 pm
Hey Mona
Don’t you think we know that many of these anonymous comments are yours? Until you renounce your attacks on the teachers of PS 15 that you made in Sept. - and you made similar attacks at the August PEP meeting - there will be distrust. Why not answer the questions S-Davis asked you?“I asked Ms. Davids who her Parents Association board consisted of,(Vice President,Secy, treasurer, etc.). where her by-laws could be found and when would there be elections. Since she approached me to become a board member I inquired on more than one occasion when a meeting was going to be held. Ms Davids response to those questions were defensive, evasive and quite offensive. They left me with the impression that although the concerns she raises may have some legitamacy, her motives are suspect. ”
Let us know about your board meetings and elections. I would love to come and tape them.
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February 27th, 2010 11:43 pm
ah where to begin: 1st: While I do believe it would be beneficial for Mona to apologize to PS 15 parents and teachers, finding common ground and working to make changes is a good first step. I, for one, am willing to work with anyone to make the changes that need to be made. We may not have the same end goal, but battles along the way are worth fighting together if they benefit our kids. Mona does not have to reveal anything she does not want to, this is political, and she has to be cautious about her moves as anyone who is fighting for something they believe in must do. Do I question her motives, of course I do, but I question everyone’s motives—that’s politics and advocacy, it is the way of the world. You will not always have the benefit of working with people you agree w/ fully or know everything about them. 2nd: KS, you are always good for a laugh. Nothing wrong with those emails? Do you even believe yourself half the time?! Of course there is something wrong, they clearly show privilege and preference toward a charter administrator and propagator at the expense of the existing public schools, successful public schools. How many public school principals have that kind of access and support, particularly financial support? Yes, it is true anyone can email the Chancellor, but it is the responses that really matter. In addition, you ask what the previous poster is so angry about… I don’t know, maybe the undermining of public education, the destructive policies of this mayor and chancellor and the hijacking of the charter school movement that pits us all against each other, hurts kids, and only benefits those with money and power (and please spare me your rhetoric here about how great charters are and this is about choice blah blah)… most of these co-locations are happening in A schools so all the justifications in the world about why we need charters do not hold water when you fully consider the facts. The DOE does need to be held to task regarding co-locations. Their formulas and justification for most if not all of them are faulty and do not benefit either student population. The intent of course is not to benefit children anyway, this is a well executed design right out of 48 laws of power and art of war: divide and conquer amongst other tactics with the intention of dismantling public education. This administration wants us to fight over the scraps, because after all, healthy competition is really about survival of the fittest, and now since we are racing to the top in education there has to be winners and losers… who will the losers be? Finally, the whole choice argument and the back and forth above about minority/charter parents being manipulated and the response that they are not is simply ridiculous. I have never seen a more beautifully orchestrated marketing and PR campaign than what this administration and their charter friends have done to sell the charter movement here in NYC. To say that all charter parents know what they are doing and are not being manipulated it to deny Tuskegee… it is also to deny the closet full of crap you have buried in a closet in your house that you bought b/c commercials and nice packaging convinced you to. We are all manipulated every day by those in power and by those with a personal stake in whatever it is they are trying to sell. We all need to wake up, and if this was really about kids, we would not be fighting each other, we would all be in front of Bloomberg’s home demanding accountability, transparency, and equity. We would be demanding the policies and the resources to create excellent community public schools.
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February 28th, 2010 1:37 am
Norm- I believe that you have also actively engaged and participated on the attacks on NYCPA President Mona Davids. Didn’t you state that she comes from CO-OP City to leave her droppings? So can she expect an apology from you as well? There is a saying that actions speak louder than words. NYCPA is the only INDEPENDENT charter parent organization calling for accountability and transparency for charter schools and we believe that ALL children should get a quailty education. I don’t see organizations such as the CENTER/CPAN calling for that, infact they are doing quite the opposite. We have all been placed in a a situation that has us charter and district parents fighting each other and I for one am seeing the bigger picture! NYCPA has been the only INDEPENDENT organization that has been educating charter parents on their rights. If NYCPA doesn’t who will? I can tell you that the CENTER/CPAN, or school leaders would NOT. FYI , Ms. Davids is not the only one replying to these postings. There are many charter parents such as myself that are tired of what is happening to our children and we want our voices heard. We need change for ALL children !
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February 28th, 2010 9:13 am
Mona is a race-baiter (her attack on PS 15 teachers) whose operation is being funded by an outside source she refuses to mention (probably Bill Gates). That makes her a corporate shill.
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February 28th, 2010 10:40 am
PS 15 teacher - I’m not against you, I’m with you. I agree we should not be fighting if it’s about kids. I understand your school is doing really well (A or no A - I don’t believe 98% of the schools are successful, I’ve been around too many “A”s to think so). I don’t see why it should shrink because of a charter school. The efficient use of space, however, is a very difficult topic and from experience, I know principals hang on to more space than they need because resources are so scarce and the future is always uncertain. (That’s nothing new with BloomKlein, that’s been institutional Board of Ed culture for as long as I’ve been an educator and prior to that Board of Ed student.) As a charter school leader, I’ve been on the receiving end of deception by DOE principals about how much space is really available for sharing…later to be exposed, with no consequence for the principal other than the tacit acknowledgement that he/she was just “protecting their turf.” Wouldn’t we all?
I’m not commenting specifically on PS 15, because I don’t know the facts, but the bad behavior of some DOE principals in this area keeps us all from knowing how inaccurate the Blue Book, the DOE footprint, etc., REALLY are.
I don’t see a Tuskegee connection, and unfortunately that’s the kind of comment that just fans the flames of controversy and feeds ignorance. The kids in charters are benefiting, not hurting. There is a feeding frenzy ready to jump on any hint of impropriety in charters because of the current controversy and the fact that it’s a school here, a school there when we are nearing 200 schools statewide tells me there’s a lot more speculation than bad behavior.
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February 28th, 2010 10:45 am
PS 15 teacher, your quote: “Of course there is something wrong, they clearly show privilege and preference toward a charter administrator and propagator at the expense of the existing public schools, successful public schools. How many public school principals have that kind of access and support, particularly financial support? Yes, it is true anyone can email the Chancellor, but it is the responses that really matter.”
Which response(s) from the chancellor?
If you were the chancellor, and Robert Jackson came to you after leaving city council and said, “I want to start 40 new schools in your lowest-performing neighborhoods and they’re going to be damn good ones” what would you do? Would you ignore his emails? Or would you respond? Would you say, “Good luck, keep up the good work” (essentially the tone of the chancellor’s responses from what I can tell)?
Perhaps you have forgotten that Eva was the City Council Ed committee chair (succeeded by Robert Jackson) who did actually fight for science instruction and famously exposed when district schools were inaccessible to parents, not even having an answering machine when no one was in the office to take calls. Say what you want about her tactics, but in terms of having access (and remember anyone can email the chancellor), she carries with her a level of authority and gravitas that suggests a response.
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February 28th, 2010 11:40 am
“A or no A - I don’t believe 98% of the schools are successful, I’ve been around too many “A”s to think so”
That sort of comment is what keeps this dialogue from being civil or informative. By your reasoning, I shouldn’t believe the charter school advocates triumphing their gains either. -
February 28th, 2010 2:23 pm
Please people, this whole charter movement has NOTHING to do with children.
These are businesses, companies and the filthy rich wanting to attach their names onto something that might make them feel like they did something good for the world before they drop dead. So please EVERYONE, stop saying it is about the children. PS 15 is being taken by a filthy rich white guy. He could care less at the end of the day about the children. All he wants is his new public school building. At the end of the day, what ever happens, he will go on about his business and Red Hook will be left hurt and divided. This is what has happened so far. Tell me, anyone, hurting and dividing school communities and neighborhoods that is a good thing for the children? Their communities splintered; some getting and others not getting. Sure, it is about the children and their are bridges for sale. Actually, all the bridges will be sold soon enough and the tolls will go on them too. Hey Moaning Mona, here is a new one. How about the Charter Toll Bridge Association? Let Spenser, Mike and Bill know you are branching out. Opps, you might not get through to Spenser. As on the Pave office during a school day, the billionaire and school that is getting almost 30 million dollars of public money the message, “Office Closed Until 1:25.” During a school day? Was the answering machine on? How is that for getting your 30 million dollar money’s worth? Little did Spencer, the other pave administrators and office staff know of the children and adults knocking on their door? It is not about the kids at all. -
February 28th, 2010 4:10 pm
I checked the web site.
Our History
New York Charter Parents Association was founded by Mona Davids in April 2009. Ms. Davids started the organization to be a resource for parents who are interested in learning more about public charter schools and parents whose children are presently attending a public charter school.Our Board
We are presently updating this page. Please check back soon.Almost one year old. Where is the listing of the Board? How are they selected? When is the next meeting? Open to the public?
This is not an organization. It is a mailing list.
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February 28th, 2010 5:35 pm
Ellen, I don’t expect this strand to turn into a referendum on the DOE progress reports, but if you are interested I have specific examples to back up my assertion. The progress reports are designed to recognize incremental gains, but when students are failing at high rates, you take an already dysfunctional school culture and add to it the high-stakes testing craze we seem to universally abhor, and you have a toxic cocktail.
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February 28th, 2010 8:00 pm
Examiner- NYCPA is far from a mailing list. NYCPA parents leaders have actually been in the field hearings at Livingston to keep charter children that were trying to be pushed out. If you feel it necessary to continue to attack NYCPA please do with more informed facts. Last time I checked I haven’t seen CPAN/CENTER board members listed on the website either!
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March 1st, 2010 6:07 am
So, because all these so called .orgs are not doing what they are supposed to do, they should all be shut down. Where are the investigators? They are all fakes and full of boo hoo hoo.
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April 23rd, 2010 12:49 pm
Mona is a clown and I’m extremely happy that my daughter’s charter school decided not to deal with her. She attempted to go into a few Charter Schools and “organize the parents.” If you want to consider what Mona does as organizing! She was all over the place she COULD not tell the parents what would take place at the CEC meetings. Before you choose to support her, try to find ANY charter schools hosting her visit. Everyone can see right through her, except for the few parents receiving a few dollars from her monthly. What 75 DOLLARS to be her little obedient soldiers. Mona went from hating charter school, to supporting them, back to talking against them! Just like a politician flip flopping!
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April 24th, 2010 6:46 am
Mona, I believe, still believes in charter schools. The real issue here is Mona is trying to be honest. That is something charter schools do not do. That is something charter parents do not do. Charter schools are founded on lies. Charter parents, desperate for a different school situation ignore the lies and fully support the lies. It is sad for NYC.
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April 24th, 2010 8:36 am
I recently had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Davids at a start-up meeting for Public Advocate Bill DeBlasio’s PACT (Parent Activist Coordinating Team).
As I recall, her comments were along the lines of that there need to be Chancellor’s Regs for CHARTER schools.
Initially, this struck me as a bit ironic, given that the charter movement holds as a reason d’detre that they want to be free of the chains that bind the system.
But the fact is that there are few parent protections, or common platforms, across multiple charters — as a group — let alone within individual ones.
Looping around, some Chancellor’s Regs exist for the protection and empowerment of PTA’s, SLT’s, and even CEC’s. Why should NYC’s charters deserve any less? How about a city-wide CEC as there are for HS, SpecEd, and soon ELL? Call it a Citywide Council for Charter Schools (CCCS).
I got a dollar sez I can guess who’d want to run such a “CCCS.”
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P.S. I stand by my first comment on this string. These two comments tie together.
CEC’s are the parents’ voice in determining capital plan allocations within districts. How would prospective charters lobby for DOE Capital Planning money without an entity to so lobby from WITHIN “the system.” There may be a third model yet to be identified, somewhere between totalitarian mayoral control, and free market for-profit charterism — a government-run school system with parent input. Gee, how novel.
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April 24th, 2010 1:23 pm
I think the Charter School debate has been discussed and argued to death it seems as though neither side wants a conversation only a monologue to promote thier own agendas. Sadly, Ms. Davids, this was your chance to really prove that you are honestly for the children (inner city children) of NYC. If transparancy and accountability is what you were truly trying to achieve you should have been shouting the loudest on how parents who arrived at 8AM in the morning for a hearing with Sen. Perkins that was supposed to begin at 9AM were unable to enter because the room was already full; mostly with Charter School opponents and disgruntled parents.
Shame, Shame, Shame. I believe our fight now needs to go to the polls, let our voices be heard there.
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April 24th, 2010 8:40 pm
Oy.
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