Union Charter School Closing

Teacher union officials dismissed the idea of school choice and charter schools until they realized it was a perfect opportunity to co-opt and control the charter school movement Starting with what seemed to be a perfect foundation, including a grant from the Broad Foundation, American Federation of Teachers officials now find themselves compelled to close down their Brooklyn, New York City, charter school, while Eva Moskowitz’s Success Academy and a KIPP Academy thrive.  Read the complete story in the Wall Street Journal.

The UFT quietly let slip last week that this showcase K-8 charter school is closing after a legacy of failure. Ms. Weingarten’s experiment in education of the union, by the union and for the union is a case study in the problems with the status quo of union dominance over American public education.

In 2005 the UFT Charter School opened with a $1 million gift from the Broad Foundation and plans to reduce class sizes, increase collaboration among teachers with monthly “townhall meetings” and daily “community gatherings,” and replace principals with less adversarial “school leaders.” Instructional coaches were supposed to support teachers but not evaluate their performance.