Anti-Charter New York Politicians Send Children to Private Schools for $60,000: ‘Pure Hypocrisy’

Do as they say, not as they do.

Elite Democrats, who are waging war against charter schools in New York, are choosing to send their children to private schools, a move critics have called hypocritical, The Post has learned.

Politicians, including Senators Robert Jackson and Jabari Breesport, Northern State Assemblymen Phil Stack and John McDonald, or their children have benefited from alternative schools despite fighting to ensure that economically disadvantaged parents don’t the same.

Jackson, Manhattan, who opposes Gov. Kathy Hochul’s plan to lift the cap on charter schools in the five boroughs, recently admitted to sending his daughter to Dwight’s $56,250 a year school on the Upper West Side.

“Our youngest daughter, based on a conversation I had with my wife, we sent her to a private high school, Dwight School. I never made a secret of it,” Jackson said at a parliamentary hearing in Albany on Feb. 8 on Hole’s budget plan.

“But everyone knows that I fight for public schools.”

Jackson represents Washington Heights and Inwood in northern Manhattan, as well as part of the Bronx, and has had close ties to the anti-charter United Teachers Federation since his days as a city councillor.

“Each parent must decide what is best for their child. If that’s what you decide, then that’s what you decide,” Jackson told the charter school parent at the 11 o’clock hearing.

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Jackson opposed Hole’s plan to allow more publicly funded but private charter schools to open in New York. Her proposal would keep the limit of 460 charters that could open statewide, but would remove the regional limit of 287 that was reached in New York, forcing many students on waiting lists.

“Gov. Hole’s budget proposes to remove the restriction on charter schools and re-allow “zombie charters” in New York. This undermines the historic investment of public schools for children in New York.” Jackson tweetedreferring to “zombie charters” or closed schools that could reopen from Hochul’s budget passes.

“Before the statutes held to the same standards as public schools, I cannot in good conscience support the governor’s proposals.”

Charter school advocates say Jackson’s charter position looks good when he can afford to send his child to Dwight’s school.

“This is pure hypocrisy of the first order,” said Ruben Diaz Sr., a former councilor and state senator who is the founder and CEO of the charter-supporting Latino Clergy Organization in the Bronx.

Diaz was a staunch supporter of charters during his time as a state senator and a member of the city council.

“Robert Jackson opposes charter schools for poor parents but sends his child to a private school? How could this happen!” he protested. “Parents in the Bronx and Harlem can’t afford to go to Dwight’s school! The charter school is the only option, and now Jackson and the Democrats want to take it out.”

Jacqueline Martell, executive director of Democrats for Education Reform, added: “It’s just disappointing that a state senator is fighting so hard and obstructing less fortunate families in choosing the best school for their child, especially when he sends his child to a private school.

“We want all of our elected officials to support the right of families to choose which school is best for their child.”

A spokesman for Jackson downplayed his opposition to charters, stating that there were still many of them.

“There are currently over 280 charter schools in New York City and the number is growing for parents to choose from,” the spokesperson said. “Opposing the ceiling to be raised does not change that reality.”

But the rep didn’t respond when reminded that thousands of students are on waiting lists to get into existing charters where black students have been proven to outperform their public school counterparts.

Meanwhile, Breesport, another opponent of charter school expansion, has also benefited from an expensive private education, graduating from Poly Prep in 2005.

The cost of studying at a prestigious Brooklyn school is between $50,000 and $60,000 per year, according to information on its website.

The Socialist Democrat website boasts of his career as a math teacher at a traditional public high school in Crown Heights and that he was a member of the UFT. But there is not a single mention of his time at Poly Prep.

However, the Brooklyn High proudly mentioned his election to the State Senate on their website in 2020, with a special message from his 2005 classmate.

“You have no idea how proud I was that I filled in the circle next to the name of Jabari Breesport in my district,” said alumnus Amani Clark. “I’ve known Jabari since our 8th grade at Poly Prep, graduating class of 2005, and even then he was such a warm spirit, extremely wise, witty and ready for greatness.”

Brisport declined to comment.

Elsewhere, Stack, an upstate Democrat who also opposes lifting statewide restrictions on charter schools, sent his daughter to a prestigious private girls’ boarding school, Emma Willard in Troy.

The tuition fee at Emma Willard – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand’s alma mater – is $43,600, according to her website.

“My district would also not support raising the cap on charter schools that send money to private operators. This money could go towards additional mental health or drug abuse prevention programs in public schools,” Stack said. said in a recent tweet.

“Besides, lower wages and less job security don’t improve education,” he added, saying that statutory teachers are not union members and have no tenure.

Another upstate legislator opposed to the charter, John Macdonald, chose to send his daughter to Cohoose Catholic School rather than a public school.

“I’m puzzled by a New York Charter School proposal that needs further clarification” he tweeted on February 3, referring to a report of declining enrollment in New York public schools. “It doesn’t make sense, especially in light of the other problems the city is suffering from.”