Charter school supporters rally for ‘equal treatment’, more funding as mayoral election nears

A coalition of over 200 New York City public charter schools marched across the Brooklyn Bridge last week in what school networks are calling a show of support for a "child’s right to learn" and opponents have labeled as forced advocacy.

Eva Moskowitz, founder and CEO of Success Academy — after hosting organizer webinars, sending SOS emails to supporters, family and faculty, and allegedly admonishing employees for failing to lobby elected officials to her — rallied on Sept. 18 with some 15,000 students, parents and staff, then “marched for excellence” from Brooklyn to Printing House Square, just outside New York’s City Hall.

The rally was described by organizers as an opportunity for advocates to “raise their voices in unity” and send a message demanding “excellence as a civil right,” as