By Juandiego Rojas Velazquez, Age 10
In New York City, not all public schools are funded equally. “About 62 percent of the students in the city’s public schools are Black or Hispanic. But at its eight most prestigious high schools, about 10 percent of the students in the incoming freshman class are expected to be Black or Hispanic, roughly the same as last year,” reports The New York Times.
Critics have said that the admissions exam required to gain admission into a specialized high school is discriminatory against Black and Hispanic students. “The sole criterion for admission is a 114-question, three-hour exam known as the Specialized High School Admissions Test, a grueling assessment of students’ mastery of math and English that rewards multistep problem-solving skills and time management,” according to the Times. The test is extremely long and the only way that specialized high schools assess knowledge. It tends to require preparation courses that only few can afford – mostly high-income, white, and Asian students.
Even though not all schools are known for being accessible to Black and Hispanic students, that isn’t the case for all schools in New York City. There are some really interesting choices for public school kids.
For example, according to the New York Post, the Urban Assembly New York Harbor School provides opportunities for a career in marine science or technology. “They are chosen by a lottery system but the school is also part of a diversity plan, with 70 percent of seats reserved for students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch,” the Post reports. This shows the majority of students that qualified for the school are low-income and were actually given a chance to enter that school, due to the effort of the administration to try and bring more diversity into their school.
Another example of a unique NYC public school is the H.E.R.O. High (Health, Education, and Research Occupations High School) which is located in Mott Haven in the Bronx. This program is uncommon because it lasts for six years and prepares students for well-paying healthcare jobs. It also “offers intensive advising, a free summer program of college classes, health-care training and peer and faculty tutoring,” which not all schools provide, writes the Post.
All of this is to conclude that not all schools provide equal access for all students. But some schools are changing their application process to help all children have better opportunities and equal access.
