Union-backed report looks at Success Academy donors
An advocacy group affiliated with the Alliance for Quality Education, a teachers' union-backed organization, has released a report on the donors and board members of the Success Academy charter school network.
The report, released by the group HedgeClippers, details the well-documented support the controversial network has received from hedge fund managers in particular. HedgeClippers describes itself as "dark money's newest nightmare" and is backed by the Strong Economy for all Coalition, which is, in turn, partially funded by teachers' unions, including the United Federation of Teachers and New York State United Teachers.
The report argues that "many of Success Academy’s hedge fund board members contribute to political causes that harm the population that Success claims to serve" by supporting various conservative causes.
The report singles out Success board member Charles Strauch, who has served as chairman of several technology companies, and runs a blog called "America's Greatness Under Attack from Within." The blog is highly critical of the Obama administration and bills itself as a forum for discussing America's greatness, including "politically conservative views represented here by a growing segment of blacks who dislike being portrayed as victims by their fellow blacks."
The report also includes a list of 50 hedge fund managers, spouses, affiliates who are associated with Success.
A spokeswoman for Success did not respond to requests for comment on the report.
Teachers' unions and their affiliates have focused much of their criticism about large charter networks on the network's wealthy donors.
Success C.E.O. Eva Moskowitz has responded to criticism about the network's donors by pointing to the long history of philanthropic giving to education causes, and noting that hedge fund managers also give to organizations that support parks, museums and domestic violence centers.
"To make a whole issue and a whole conspiracy theory around people who are generous and feel that education should be a human right and a civil right is most unfortunate," Moskowitz said during an appearance on the "Brian Lehrer Show" last month.
Success is holding its fourth annual spring benefit at Cipriani in Midtown on Monday night. Last year, the network raised $7.75 million at the event, which is closed to press.
Read the full report here: http://bit.ly/1bdzv3C
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