Mayor Bill De Blasio: Admissions Process At Elite High Schools Needs Change
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Mayor Bill de Blasio says the admissions process at the city's most selective public high schools needs to be revamped.
Earlier this month, teachers and some state lawmakers called for changes for how students compete for admission to elite schools.
United Federation of Teachers President Michael Mulgrew argued that the current system is unfair to minority students who deserve to attend Stuyvesant, Bronx Science, Brooklyn Tech and five other specialized high schools. Only about two dozen African-Americans were among the more than 3,000 students admitted to Stuyvesant this year.
Mayor Bill de Blasio Gives Failing Grade To Admissions Process At Elite High Schools
Mulgrew argued that using a single, determining test is a narrow, outdated way to measure talent. He noted that admissions officers at such colleges as Harvard and Yale consider other factors, including grades, extracurricular activities and attendance.
De Blasio said Tuesday he agrees that the schools should not admit students based solely on one test, WCBS 880's Rich Lamb reported.
"That will take some time by definition, but again, do not believe that a single test should the determinant, particularly with something that's so life changing for so many young people," the mayor said.
De Blasio, however, insisted the city will maintain a very high bar for admissions to those schools.
State Sen. Simcha Felder, D-Brooklyn, is sponsoring a proposal to change the admission process.
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