>>> MAY 17th MARKED 65 YEARS
SINCE THE SUPREME COURT DECIDED
IN BROWN VERSUS BOARD OF
EDUCATION THAT IN PUBLIC
SCHOOLS, SEPARATE BUT EQUAL IS
NOT EQUAL.
STILL, SEGREGATION IN SCHOOLS
REMAINS A MAJOR ISSUE IN CITIES
ACROSS THE NATION.
AND NEW YORK CITY HAS ONE OF THE
MOST SELLGREGATED SCHOOL SYSTEM
IN THE COUNTRY.
>> I AM IN FRONT OF YOU.
65 YEARS AFTER THE SUPREME COURT
DECIDED SEGREGATION HAS TO GO.
>> EARLIER THIS MONTH THE CITY
COUNCIL HELD THE OVERSIGHT
HEARING ON SEGREGATION IN THE
NEW YORK CITY SCHOOL SYSTEM.
ON THE DOCKET WERE DISCUSSIONS
ABOUT CREATING MORE GIFTED AND
TALENTED PROGRAMS, EXPANDING
REPORTING ON DEMOGRAPHICS OF
STUDENTS AND TEACHERS, AND THE
PRIMARY FOCUS OF THE DAY.
WHAT TO DO WITH THE
CONTROVERSIAL SPECIALIZED HIGH
SCHOOL ADMISSIONS TEST.
>> WE ARE CONTINUING OUR EFFORTS
TO ELIMINATED THE TEST.
NO OTHER CITY IN THE COUNTRY
USES A SINGLE TEST FOR
ADMISSIONS.
LET ME REPEAT NO, OTHER CITY OR
STATE USES A SINGLE TEST FOR
ADMISSION TO SPECIALIZED
SCHOOLS.
>> THE NEW YORK CITY SCHOOL
SYSTEM OFFERS NINE SPECIALIZED
HIGH SCHOOLS OUT OF
APPROXIMATELY 500 HIGH SCHOOLS.
EIGHT OF THESE SPECIALIZED
SCHOOLS INCLUDING THE
PRESTIGIOUS BROOK RIN TEST,
BROOKLYN SCIENCE, OFFER
ACCEPTANCE BASED SOLELY ON HOW
STUDENTS PERFORM ON THIS TEST.
THE NEW YORK SCHOOL SYSTEM
DEMOGRAPHICALLY BREAKS DOWN INTO
40.5% HISPANIC, 26% BLACK, 16.1%
ASIAN, AND 15% WHITE.
YET THIS UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR,
ONLY SEVEN BLACK CHILDREN WERE
ACCEPTED INTO THE HIGH SCHOOL'S
895 SPOTS.
>> WHAT OUTCOME LED TO THIS?
THIS YEAR BLACK STUDENTS
RECEIVED ONLY A FEW.
IN A SCHOOL SYSTEM THAT IS
NEARLY AS I'VE MENTIONED 70%
BLACK OR LATINO.
THE INEQUITY PROBLEM STARTS LONG
BEFORE THE STUDENTS SIT DOWN TO
THE SHSAT.
KIDS GET THEIR EDUCATION IN
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND THE CHAIR
AND FORMER TEACHER, MARK,
EXPLAINS THAT PLACEMENT INTO
EARLY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IS ALSO
BASED ON A SINGLE TEST.
>> RIGHT NOW AS WE SPEAK, THEY
TEST 4-YEAR-OLDS ON ONE SINGLE
MEASURE TO DETERMINE IF THEY'RE
GIFTED AND TALENTED.
THAT'S PROBLEMATIC.
AT 4 YEARS OLD, YOU'VE PROBABLY
ONLY TESTING PRIVILEGE OR
WHETHER THE KID HAD A GOOD OR
BAD DAY.
>>?
FACT, THERE WAS A TUTORING
PROGRAM THAT CHARGES UP TO $400
AN HOUR TO PREPARE 4-YEAR-OLDS
FOR THE TEST.
GIVING WEALTHIER FAMILIES A
DISTINCT ADVANTAGE.
THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE
IN GIFTED AND TALENTED PROGRAMS
CAN ALSO CREATE CHALLENGES
BECAUSE NOT ALL SCHOOLS OFFER
THE PROGRAM.
AND AS WITH TOP TIER HIGH
SCHOOLS, OPTING FOR A GREAT
GIFTED AND TALENTED PROGRAM CAN
MEAN A LONGER DAILY COMMUTE FOR
STUDENTS IF THEIR LOCAL SCHOOL
DOESN'T OFFER IT OR IF THEY
DON'T GET A SPOT IN THEIR LOCAL
PROGRAM.
AND TRANSPORTATION CAN ALSO BE
AN ISSUE.
THE STUDENT POINT OUT IN HER
TESTIMONY THAT IT HAD BEEN FIVE
YEARS SINCE NEW YORK STATE
SCHOOLS WERE NAMED MOST
SEGREGATED IN THE NATION BY A
UCLA STUDY.
AND FIVE YEARS SINCE THE CITY
COUNCIL CALLED FOR THE
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO
INTEGRATE THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.
>> I'VE HEARD A LOT OF THEM SAY
HOW MUCH THEY LOVE HEARING FROM
STUDENTS.
HOW MUCH THEY VALUE US.
I AGREE.
STUDENT VOICE IS GREAT.
BUT DO YOU KNOW WHAT I PREFER?
ADULT ACTION.
>> BUT ACTION HAS BEEN SLOW
MOVING FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS.
THE TEST REQUIREMENT FOR
ADMISSION TO BE THE LEAD
SPECIALIZED HIGH SCHOOL BECAME
NEW YORK STATE LAW IN 1971.
>> THE TRUTH IS THAT THE CURRENT
SINGLE TEST ADMISSIONS PROCESS
WAS ENSHRINED IN STATE LAW
ALMOST 60 YEARS AGO AS A DIRECT
RESPONSE TO INTEGRATION EFFORTS
TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF BLACK
AND BROWN STUDENTS IN
SPECIALIZED HIGH SCHOOLS.
AND LEGISLATION THAT WAS BASED
ON RACISM MUST NOT STAND.
>> BECAUSE THE SHSHT IS STATE
LAW, IT MUST BE UNDONE BY THE
STATE.
SO MANY MEMBERS OF THE CITY
COUNSELLOR HAVE PUSHED FOR THIS.
THERE ARE THOSE WHO THINK THE
TEST SHOULD STAY.
SOME A ALUMNI GROUPS OF
SPECIALIZED HIGH SCHOOLS HAVE
BEEN VOCAL ABOUT KEEPING IT, AS
HAVE SOME PARENT GROUPS.
MOSTLY MADE UP OF ASIAN-AMERICAN
NEW YORKERS.
THIS YEAR THEY MADE UP ABOUT 51%
OF THE OFFERS FOR SPECIALIZED
HIGH SCHOOL SPOTS DESPITE MAKING
UP JUST 16.1% OF THE STUDENT
POPULATION.
THE COUNCILMEMBER SPOKE AT BOTH
THE PROTEST AND THE HEARING
ITSELF.
>> THIS PARENT DESCRIBES HIMSELF
AS A FIRST GENERATION THE
IMMIGRANT FROM CHINA WITH TWO
KIDS IN THE NEW YORK CITY SCHOOL
SYSTEM.
HE EXPRESSED HIS CONCERN ABOUT
LOSING AT THE HEARING AND SPOKE
WITH US THROUGH A TRANSLATOR.
>> EXAMINATION ITSELF IS NOT
BIASED.
WE ACCEPT THE EXAMINATION.
THERE IS NO OTHER LEEWAY OR
PATHWAY FOR US TO GO THROUGH
TESTING, TO ATTAIN A GOOD
EDUCATION.
>> GROUPS LIKE THE ONE
PROTESTING OUTSIDE THE HEARING
OF WHICH HE IS A PART ARE I KNOW
STEAD CALLING TO FIX GRADES K-8
TO ALLOW ALL STUDENTS A BETTER
CHANCE OF DOING WELL ON THE
TEST.
THEN THERE IS THE MATTER OF
DERRELLING WHAT A REVISED
SPECIALIZED PROCESS WOULD LOOK
LIKE.
BUT THE CHANCE LOVER INDICATES
TAKING INTO ACCOUNTS OTHER
FACETS OF EDUCATION COULD
REINFORCE STUDENTS DOING THEIR
BEST ALL YEAR ROUND.
>> WE TELL THEM.
DO WELL.
DO YOUR HOMEWORK.
GET GOOD GRADES.
PLAY A SPORT.
PLAY AN INSTRUMENT.
GET INVOLVED IN THE CLUB.
DON'T GET SUSPENDED.
DON'T GET INTO TROUBLE.
NONE OF THAT MATTERS IF THEY
WANT TO GO TO A SPECIALIZED
SCHOOL.
ALL THEY HAVE TO DO IS TAKE A
TEST WHICH IS NOT ALIGNED TO THE
STATE STANDARDS WHICH IS WHAT
THEY STUDY ALL DAY LONG AND THEY
HAVE TO GET A CERTAIN SCORE.
205
00:06:20,913
>> FOR "METROFOCUS."
