New York City
Poll: Should NYC scrap its elite high school entrance exam?
With a lack of acceptance diversity at New York City's specialized high schools making the news we're reminded of New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio's audacious proposal from last year: get rid of the entrance exam for the city’s elite high schools.
Mayor Bill de Blasio and Richard A. Carranza, Dept. of Education Schools Chancellor at a press conference in NYC. rblfmr/Shutterstock
Last year, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio unveiled an audacious proposal: get rid of the entrance exam for the city’s elite high schools.
“Eight of our most renowned high schools – including Stuyvesant High School, Bronx High School of Science and Brooklyn Technical High School – rely on a single, high-stakes exam,” the mayor wrote in an op-ed. “The Specialized High School Admissions Test isn’t just flawed – it’s a roadblock to justice, progress and academic excellence. If we want this to be the fairest big city in America, we need to scrap the SHSAT and start over.”
This week, new figures came out showing that the already small number of black students admitted to these elite schools is continuing to dwindle even further.
But while many observers agree that something needs to change, there’s plenty of debate over how to actually address the racial disparities. In this week’s reader poll, we’re asking you to weigh in.
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