A record number of students at the city’s largest charter school network are participating in extracurricular activities this new school year, network officials said.
More than 9,000 Success Academy students are cheerleading, playing soccer, studying chess and enjoying other activities in 350 different clubs in the network’ school year that began Aug. 15.
Success Academy officials said those numbers tripled this year over last. The network has 41 schools and about 14,000 students.
Success Academy founder Eva Moskowitz said that while her students work hard to excel on state tests, learning isn’t all about exam prep and homework.
“From a child’s point of view, the worst educators’ crime is to make school boring,” Moskowitz said. “Success works hard to ensure kids are engaged.”
Moskowitz said the network’s extracurricular programs are especially vital for their students since many come from low-income areas and have few after-school opportunities.
The network has also recruited experts to work with its students on various academic and extracurricular projects.
Some students at Success Academy Bronx 1 Middle School are studying with grandmaster Alejandro Montalvo, who was hired to teach chess at the school this year.
Spoken-word poet David Quinones will work with students at Success Academy Harlem West to hone their writing skills.
And former NCAA Division 1 soccer player Boris Bozic leads more than 3,000 Success Academy students in a program to develop their athletic prowess and teamwork.
Success Academy opened seven new schools in 2016 — two elementary schools in Queens and three elementary schools in Brooklyn, along with two new middle schools in Brooklyn.
Success Academy officials would not say how much the charter school network is spending on extracurricular programs for its students.
Success founder Moskowitz has frequently clashed with Mayor de Blasio on a variety of issues related to space for her schools and oversight of her school programs.
City Education Department spokeswoman Devora Kaye said the de Blasio administration maintains 150,000 seats in after-school programs for public school students and has invested $100 million to improve physical education in the city schools.
“Learning doesn’t end in the classroom, which is why clubs, debate teams, athletics, enrichment and after-school programs are central to a high-quality education,” Kaye said.
