Education
NY Lawmakers Demand Investigation Into Charter School Rally Attendance
NEW YORK, NY — Two New York state lawmakers are calling for an investigation into a charter schools rally where classes were reportedly canceled and attendance was compulsory. This event, which gathered thousands of participants at the Brooklyn Bridge, occurred amid increasing political tensions leading to the mayoral election.
State Senators John Liu and Shelley Mayer expressed their concerns in a letter to the New York State Department of Education and the State University of New York (SUNY). They highlighted allegations that charter school officials pressured families, students, and staff to attend the political rally during school hours.
The rally was organized to support charter schools, which currently serve approximately 142,000 students in New York City. Eva Moskowitz, founder of Success Academy — a well-known charter network — addressed staff prior to the event, stating that advocacy was part of their job. According to a recording obtained by the Gothamist, Moskowitz emphasized the hierarchical nature of the organization, stating, ‘There is a chain of command, and when your boss asks you to do something… you do the task. Are we clear?’
Liu and Mayer described the cancellation of classes during a school day as an ‘egregious misuse of instructional time and state funds.’ They noted that families and staff felt pressured to attend the rally, fearing negative consequences if they did not participate.
The rally comes just weeks before the New York mayoral election, where candidate Zohran Mamdani has expressed opposition to expanding charter schools. Moskowitz referred to the situation as an ‘existential threat’ to Success Academy, focusing on the threats posed to their funding and expansion opportunities.
A spokesperson for Success Academy stated that the organization has a dual mission of educating students and advocating for policy changes. However, Senator Liu addressed the implications of this stance, arguing that holding a political rally during school hours is a disservice to students and a potential misuse of state funds.
The nature of the event echoed a similar rally in 2013 during the campaign of former Mayor Bill de Blasio, a known critic of charter schools. Moskowitz remarked on the organization’s history of political activism, saying, ‘We have a core competency in political threats… this is one of these moments where there is heightened risk, policy risk, political risk.’
As of now, Success Academy has not responded to immediate requests for comments regarding the calls for an investigation, which remains under review by state education authorities.
