Stossel: Saving Kids From Government Schools

Success Academy's Eva Moskowitz has demonstrated that more choice in education yields incredible outcomes.

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It's school choice week!

What's that? It's a week about giving parents and kids a choice of schools, so they aren't stuck in failing, government-run schools.

John Stossel says amazing things happen at some of these alternatives. He visited one school where the kids like learning. Reading is "rockin' awesome," one kid tells John.

That school was created by Eva Moskowitz. Her "Success Academy" now runs 46 charter schools that teach more than 15,000 students. As a charter, she has more freedom to innovate.

Her school gets amazing results: 95% of kids pass the state math test, and 84% pass English. At all NYC government schools only 38% and 41% pass.

Despite her success with kids, she receives nasty criticism. New York Mayor Bill DeBlasio shouts "it's time for Eva Moskowitz to stop having the run of the place!"

Critics say that she only takes the best kids. But that's false. The kids are selected by a random lottery.

Critics say she pushes difficult kids out of her school to increase her results. That's also false; her schools have a lower drop-out rate than public schools.

John Stossel gives Success Academy, and school choice, an A!

Reason is a proud media partner of National School Choice Week, an annual event promoting the ability of parents and students to have greater options in K-12 education. Go here http://schoolchoiceweek.com to get more information about events and data about how increasing school choice–charters, vouchers, educational savings accounts, and more–is one of the best ways to improve education for all Americans. For a constantly updated list of stories on education, go to Reason's archive page on National School Choice Week.

Produced by Maxim Lott. Edited by Joshua Swain.