Eva Moskowitz

Eva Moskowitz is the CEO of Success Academy, the network of charter schools she founded in 2006 along with Joel Greenblatt and John Petry. Her strong advocacy for charter schools has made her a key figure in education reform. A long-time Harlem resident and mother of three, Eva is both a passionate educator and a committed political reformer. Moskowitz's belief in the aptitude of inner-city, low-income students and her commitment to providing socio-economic and racial diversity in charter schools remain undiminished. She regards education as a crucial civil rights issue. Her leadership in education reform began with her service as a New York City Council member from 1999 to 2005, where she chaired the Council’s Education Committee and the faculty seminar in American studies at Columbia University.

During her tenure, Moskowitz held oversight hearings focused on New York City's public school system, finding that many schools lacked appropriate facilities and supplies, and discovering issues with science education, social studies instruction, and minority student eligibility for diplomas. These initiatives laid the groundwork for the founding of Success Academy. The first Success Academy Charter School opened in 2006, with Moskowitz serving as Principal. Under her leadership, the academy was able to close the achievement disparity between disadvantaged students and more elite public school students in New York, earning the support of the media, wealthy donors, and political figures such as New York Governor David Paterson and Mayor Bloomberg. President Barack Obama recognized charter schools, including Success Academy, as crucial in education reform.

Moskowitz's ambition is evident in her goal of running 100 schools within a decade. As of December 2017, Success Academy included 45 schools with 17,000 students. Notably, Moskowitz has been recognized for her work in education, including receiving the Alexander Hamilton Award from the Manhattan Institute. As well as being an active educator and reformer, Moskowitz has also authored a memoir titled "The Education of Eva Moskowitz," and other books, including "Mission Possible: How the Secrets of the Success Academies Can Work in Any School" and "A+ Parenting: The Surprisingly Fun Guide to Raising Surprisingly Smart Kids," and has been featured in documentaries such as "The Lottery" and "Waiting for 'Superman,'" which focused on charter schools.

Moskowitz completed her B.A. at the University of Pennsylvania and her Ph.D. in American History at Johns Hopkins University. Moskowitz's academic background extends to teaching women's history at various universities and authoring books on women's magazines and America's obsession with self-fulfillment. With a career steeped in education and reform, Moskowitz is a fitting advocate for the charter school movement and its expansion, even as this movement approaches its statewide cap on new charters in New York.