Mom’s school Success
Charter agrees to remote learning for son
A desperate Bronx mom whose family was devastated by COVID-19 says she nearly withdrew her second-grader from Success Academy after the charter school refused to switch her son to remote learning.
Sherell Wynne, 38, of Soundview, intended to register both her elementary school sons in remote learning for the fall — still fearful of the virus that killed her older son’s father and two close relatives, she said.
But several days before Success’ fall session classes started Aug. 2, Wynne realized that her second-grader, Devyn, was signed up for in-person classes. She contacted the school on the first day of class to correct the mixup.
“I was basically begging this woman to make the correction,” Wynne recalled, arguing that the fact her fifth-grade son was signed up for remote learning should have signaled there was a mixup.
Officials at Success Academy 4 Bronx in Soundview didn’t budge — and said 7-year-old Devyn would be withdrawn from school if he didn’t show up to in-person classes.
“This is a decision that has been made across our Network of Success Academy schools,” wrote Principal Samantha Cheslow in a Monday email obtained by The News. “Devyn’s election was in person, so in order to attend school he must be present in class.”
Success officials quickly reversed course late Tuesday following an inquiry from the Daily News, allowing the boy to switch to remote classes and remain enrolled.
Officials said they hadn’t known about the death of Wynne’s older son’s father.
“We are willing to make an exception to our policies and allow him to receive remote instruction given the unique circumstances of this case,” Success spokeswoman Ann Powell said in a statement Tuesday afternoon.
But Success officials defended the overall policy, arguing they informed parents back in May that once they selected in-person or remote learning for the fall, the choice would be locked in.
Wynne said Success administrators’ initial refusal caused overwhelming anxiety.
“I don’t want to take my son out of the school,” she said. “I feel I’m being forced to put my son in what I feel is a hazardous situation.”
Success is an outlier in its decision to offer a virtual option through the fall. The city’s largest charter network, Success has earned a national reputation for strict disciplinary rules and academic expectations.
The city’s public schools are offering only a narrow home instruction option for kids with underlying conditions.
Wynne said she told the school about the death of her older son’s father as soon as it happened in May 2020.
She argued the school could’ve noticed the discrepancy between the two siblings’ registration choices and reached out to the family to make sure there wasn’t a mistake.
Success officials said they “don’t have any record that Ms. Wynne signed her second son up for remote instruction,” and wouldn’t have been able to compare the siblings’ choices because they’re enrolled in different schools.
Wynne is thrilled the charter network reversed course and allowed her son to remain in remote classes.
But she was frustrated the decision came only after she contacted The News.
“This baby missed two weeks of school because [of] the stance they had,” she said. “I want to rejoice and celebrate … but it’s like, Did you not hear my cries? Was it not enough to where I had to reach out to the media?”