QOD: A Parent of Children with Special Needs Rebuts Farina and de Blasio's Claims about Charter Selectivity

A Bronx parent of three kids with special needs rebuts NYC Schools Chancellor Carmen Farina and Mayor Bill de Blasio’s claims that charter schools are “shutting out” disadvantaged students and those with disabilities.

Kenia Rivera notes that “teachers union and other critics of charter schools often make this charge to imply that the academic gains made by students have nothing to do with the school — and that charters are shutting out disadvantaged students in the process."

This couldn’t be further from the truth.” In fact, she says, she’s not a parent with "unique drive” or “special advantages“ and "we applied to the charter school in part because it was even easier than applying to my neighborhood school.”

Ms. Rivera concludes,

Mayor de Blasio and Chancellor Fariña need to recognize that if we had better options, most parents of black and Hispanic children trapped in failing schools would in fact “make it their business” to leave. The real problem isn’t that charter schools “self-select” parents — it’s that 50,000 families are on waiting lists still trying to get in.