The Child Soldiers of the Culture War
In New York City, adult activists use teenagers as human shields Teens Take Charge protesters at a rally in June 2019. / Twitter Screenshot Aaron Sibarium • May 25, 2021 5:00 am
Last October, a group of New York City parents gathered outside City Hall to defend accelerated academic programs. The city’s Department of Education had been chipping away at those programs for over two years part of its equity -oriented agenda and the predominantly Asian crowd was fed up. Keep SHSAT, many signs read, a reference to the Specialized High School Admissions Test that by law determines admission to the city’s top public schools.
NYC parent council elections reflect bitter school integration divides
The outcomes of Community Education Council elections could steer the course for future school integration plans.
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Parents in January 2020 applaud a speaker during a contentious meeting to discuss middle school integration plans for District 28 in Queens. Fights how to make New York City schools more representative of student demographics have filtered down to the races to elect Community Education Council members.
Christina Veiga / Chalkbeat
New York City’s Community Education Councils have emerged in recent years as an instrumental platform and a battleground when it comes to changing admissions policies in attempts to integrate one of the country’s most segregated school systems.
In a school system whose total enrollment is 41% Latino, 26% Black, 16% Asian and 15% white, the specialized high schools have grown disproportionately Asian and white over the past years.
Only 8 Black Students Admitted To Stuyvesant High School out of 749 Enrollments
african american college students in computer room [Image: istockphoto.com]
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In yet another sign of New York City’s failure to desegregate schools and provide educational equity in its schools, the number of Black and Latino students admitted into the city’s specialized high schools dropped to its lowest level in three years.
According to The New York Times, Only 9% of admission offers made by specialized elite high schools including Stuyvesant High School, Brooklyn Technical High School, and Bronx High School of Science went to Black and Latino students this year. A two percent drop from last year.
NYC School Chief Calls to End Competitive High School Entrance Exam Dominated by Asians
New York City should stop using standardized tests to determine who gets a seat in its prestigious specialized high schools, said New York City Schools Chancellor Meisha Ross-Porter, as the number of black and Hispanic students admitted to those schools dropped to new low this year.
Ross-Porter, who resumed office in February following former Chancellor Richard Carranza’s resignation, said it’s “unacceptable” that the competitive Specialized High School Admissions Test (SHSAT) once again failed to produce results that reflect the demographics of the nation’s largest public school district.