YARDLEY, Pa. – March 8, 2011 – Michael Kaufman, CEO of Specialized Education Services Inc.  (SESI), announced today that his company is now partners with Philadelphia-based Success Schools, enabling SESI to become a leader in alternative education for troubled youth as well as special education.

 “SESI is already one of our nation’s best and fastest growing special education providers for students with learning, emotional and cognitive disabilities,” Kaufman said. “Our exciting new partnership with Success Schools positions us to expand into alternative education for the most ‘at-risk’ students.”

Samuel “Buddy” Streit, President of Success Schools, said his company is “proud to join the SESI family” and “to extend our ability to provide cost-efficient educational programs that keep the most difficult students in the classrooms and off the streets.”

“Success Schools works with the toughest kids in the some of the lowest performing schools,” said David Wood, chief development officer for Success Schools. “We have the expertise to transform a school’s culture into a highly structured and disciplined learning environment and to re-engage students in their education. By partnering with SESI, we will enhance our services.”

At present, SESI provides individualized special education for students, ages 5-21, with a range of disabilities at 43 schools in 11 states and the District of Columbia. Public schools in those locales pay tuition to SESI Schools for special-needs students who cannot be accommodated in-district.


With Success Schools under the SESI umbrella, SESI will be able to offer alternative education to students deemed “at-risk” by their public school districts because they are potential dropouts or due to delinquency, truancy, suspensions, previous expulsions or other disciplinary issues.

Success Schools has worked with public and private schools in the Philadelphia area to assist with school restructuring, safety and discipline, professional development and classroom management, explained Robert Lysek, senior vice president of operations at Success Schools.

In January, Success Schools was credited for its role in a sweeping turnaround at Philadelphia’s struggling John B. Stetson Middle School. Working with ASPIRA of Pennsylvania, Success Schools’ staff created a structured and disciplined learning environment for the school’s most incorrigible students. The dramatic turnaround at Stetson, led Success Schools to take on a similar task at the Young Scholars Frederick Douglass, a K–8th Charter School in Philadelphia.

“Success Schools will remain deeply committed to Philadelphia and to its work with ASPIRA of Pennsylvania. But, our new partnership with SESI will help us grow and bring much-needed assistance to troubled students in other communities,” Lysek said. 

“Success Schools is a company with great vision and tremendous talent. Their philosophy of creating a structured learning environment with a strong academic emphasis is so similar to ours,” Kaufman said. “SESI-Success was a perfect fit to join forces and we are thrilled that our partnership is helping SESI grow into the Philadelphia area.”