In launching new charter schools, former Success Academy lawyer aims for integration

Former Success Academy lawyer Emily Kim says integration will be a “key” aspect in the design of the charter chain she is aiming to launch.

Kim recently left New York City’s largest network of charter schools to start her own — and given her close ties to Success, Kim’s schools are likely to be closely watched. According to a new website and documents filed with the charter authorizer SUNY, she plans to launch Zeta Charter Schools in Upper Manhattan and the Bronx.

She also appears to be aiming for the schools to join the growing number of “intentionally diverse” charters. Realizing that goal will likely require substantial outreach to families, since the districts where Zeta has applied to open are overwhelmingly poor and Hispanic. The poverty rate stands at 87 percent in Manhattan’s District 6 and 93 percent in the Bronx’s District 12. The percentage of Hispanic students is 85 percent and 70 percent, respectively. Less than 3 percent of students in either district are Asian, and less than 5 percent are white.

“We believe a diverse student population enriches the school environment and raises the level and depth of learning,” the school’s website states.

New York City schools are largely segregated, and charters are no exception. In the city, 90 percent of charter schools are “intensely segregated,” with white students making up less than 10 percent of enrollment, according to a UCLA report. Across the state, charters often serve fewer students who are learning English or have a disability, according to a 2016 report by the right-leaning American Enterprise Institute.

The lopsided enrollment is often attributed to the mission of many charter schools to target underserved students and neighborhoods. But since they admit students by lottery, rather than attendance boundaries, experts say charter schools in some areas have the potential to create diverse environments.

Kim has not yet filed full charter applications to SUNY for the schools, which would need to be approved by SUNY and the Board of Regents. The preliminary documents say the two elementary schools would launch in August 2018 and grow to enroll 675 students each.