Critics of New York Success Academy have accused the charter school network of abusing taxpayer funds, forcing students to ask for permission to go to the bathroom or participate in extracurricular activities. In addition, a math teacher was caught on video yelling at a first-grader and sending a “Got to Go” list. But critics have disputed the findings. A mom of a first-grader who was suspended from the school asked to remain anonymous because she is concerned about retaliation from the school.
Success Academy bills itself as a mission-driven organization with a focus on scholarliness and accessibility. The schools in the network serve predominantly minority children and perform better than comparable suburban schools. It also has an impact on public education and NYC’s schools by enrolling students from disadvantaged neighborhoods. In addition, some parents argue that the school prepares students better than traditional public schools, despite its lack of diversity and discipline. But others are less satisfied, saying the school is not meeting the needs of the entire student population.
Another nonprofit that has succeeded by pairing stories with philanthropy is Humans of New York. They began with the goal of photographing 10,000 New Yorkers in the streets and subsequently expanded into a fundraising vehicle. While the model of a story-driven campaign has been successful for a nonprofit, its effectiveness depends on the content. Stories that focus on hardships, such as those facing Rohingya refugees, should not be used as voyeurism, or used to exploit people’s pain.