In midst of political push, Success Academy hosts annual exam rally

Success Academy Charter Schools took a break in its political crusade against the de Blasio administration’s approach to charter school for an annual rite of spring: rallying students in advance of state tests.

The charter network of 22 schools brought 2,300 students together today for a rally called “SLAM the Exam,” just as it did last year, the first that the state tied its math and reading tests to the Common Core standards. Success Academy posted high scores on the harder tests as many other schools struggled.

The rally came a day after State Education Commissioner John King sent a letter to districts encouraging them to reduce their emphasis on testing. City Chancellor Carmen Fariña has also urged principals not to make testing the focus of their schools this spring.

“Testing is a fact of life, something my son will face many times over before he graduates from college,” Shea Reeder, the mother of a Success Academy student who also works at another school in the network, said in the network’s statement. “It’s much better that children gain confidence from feeling prepared than to worry or dread these exams.”