Ross Global Charter: In Battle Over NYC Charter School, It's Heiress vs. Parents

[proud2BlibKansan]

Mona Davids, president of the New York Charter Parents Association, loves charter schools. She does not, however, love Ross Global Academy, a New York city charter school with a horrible record of serving students.

"Out of the 1,470 schools in New York city, this school is 1470. it is officially the worst school in the city," says Davids.

The New York City Department of Education agrees. They've recommended that Ross Global Academy's charter not be renewed for another five years. But the rich widow who started the school is using her big money to try to stop that from happening. She's hired a legal team and has been lobbying the Board of Regents to give her another chance. Davids, and other parent advocates, are saying: Not so fast.

Ross Global Academy was started in 2005 by Courtney Ross, widow of Steve Ross, who used to run Time Warner. She started an exclusive private school in the Hamptons - the Ross Institute for Advanced Study and Innovation in Education - and wanted to bring some of that success to New York's poorest kids by opening a charter school.

But it hasn't worked. Teacher turnover is at over 77 percent, says Davids. Students are leaving the school in droves - 90 out of 400 students left the school within the first three months of the year. Davids says a parent she knows has a child in the school - that child has had six homeroom teachers this year alone.

more . . . http://normsnotes2.blogspot.com/2010/12/ross-global-charter-in-battle-over-nyc.html