Disturbing video of teacher yelling at 1st-grader raises questions about NYC's biggest charter school network
Students in the Success Academy far outperform students in traditional public schools (TPS) in New York City on standardized tests - even students in wealthy zip codes, as Reason has pointed out.
But the network has come under increasing scrutiny for the pressure it puts on its students.
On Friday, a video emerged of a first-grade Success Academy teacher berating a student who could not answer a math question correctly, The New York Times reported. The CEO of Success Academy said the video was an anomaly, and the teacher in the video called it a "lapse in emotional control," according to The Times. It is still disturbing to watch, especially since The Times' interviews with 20 current and former Success Academy teachers suggested her actions were extreme but not uncommon.
The student asks the student to answer a question for the class. The student appears to struggle with the correct answer, and the teacher rips up the student's school work and shouts for her to get in the "calm-down" chair.
"There's nothing that infuriates me more than when you don't do what's on your paper," the video captures the teacher saying.
But administrators at Success Academy claim that their tactics are a result of holding all students accountable for success.
"That is part of our culture - not having kids getting away with just not trying," Eva Moskowitz, CEO of Success Academy, told the Times in 2015.
Moskowitz, a former City Council member, is a divisive figure who has butted heads with Mayor Bill de Blasio over the expansion of charter schools.
Success Academy did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider. The charter school network is holding a 2 p.m. press conference to address the video.