New schools Chancellor Richard Carranza wants to expel the controversial single-test admissions process at the city’s eight specialized high schools.
Making his first appe🎶arance before the City Council Tuesday, Carranz൩a endorsed taking multiple measures into account instead of relying on a sole exam.
Under the ꦍcurrent policy, few black and Latino students gain entry to coveted schools like Stuyvesant HS, Bronx Science and Brooklyn Tech.
Carranza contended Tuesday that more expansive admissions criteria have benefited competitive schools at his prior careeꦓr🎶 stops.
“I will tell you in every single one of those instances we have never diluted the talent pool,” Carranza said. “In fact, we’ve increased the diversity and we’ve been able, I think, to strengthen those schools because they have an influx of diversity.”
Carranza’s comments came in response to questions from City Councilwoman Inez Barron, who said the dearth of black and Latino students at the elite schools stems from systemic racism.
“In this country, we know that it was built on the appropriation of lands that belonged to the indigenous people and we know that it grew based on the exploitation of enslaved Africans,” she said. “Free labor. Every institution in this country has embedded racist policies in it. Bar none.”
Barron noted that only 10 percent of admissions at the ꦆelite eights we꧋nt to black and Latino applicants this year.
Admissions to the city’s top three schools – Stuyvesant, Bronx Science and Brooklyn Tech – are currently dominated by Asian kids under the single-test system.
They comprise 74 percent of the student population at Stuyvesant, 66 percent at Bronx Science and 61 ♎percent at Brooklyn Tech, according to the Department of Education.
Carranza said Tuesday that his administration would seek to “cast the widest net” for specialized school admissions.
“These are public schools,” he said. “These are not private schools. They belong to the public and as such it is my philosophical and personal and professional belief that all schools should be accessible to all students in the city of New York because the city of New York taxpayers pay for those schools.”
Backers of the current system – including several prominent alumni groups – assert that it’s predicated more on preparation than privilege.
But opponents argue that exam success hinges largely on costly prep classes that🍒 can preclude struggling low-income families.
Alumni groups have also pushed back on t🐠hat front, noting the significant proportion of poor immigrant kids at specialized 🌟high schools.
Mayor Bill de Blasio has also decried the cꦗurrent admissions process but noted that state law precludes intervention at Stuyvesant, Bronx Science and Brooklyn Tech.
Under increasing pressure, de Blasio said two months ago that he would have his lawyers investig♏ate the possibility of taking action at the remaining five schools.
A spokeswoman said last week that the attorneys have yet toℱ make a determ🀅ination.
“We are committed to making our specialized high schools more reflective of our city, and are exploring actions that can be taken at the city and state level to accomplish this imperative,” said Olivia Lapeyrolerie. “We will have more to share soon.”