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Ron Kim declined to participate SHSAT community forumĀ 

10/15/2014

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On Saturday October 18, CoalitionEdu and The Queens Chronicle will host a public forum to discuss the proposed changes to the exam-only admission policy to New York City's specialized high schools, including  the NYC Department of Education’s proposal for a new SHSAT that would include an essay and translation into different languages.

The panel discussion will include prominent speakers who oppose or who support changes to the existing admission policy. We have confirmed that speakers in favor of keeping the existing SHSAT exam-only format will include Assembly Candidate for Flushing Phil Gim, who is running against Assemblyman Ron Kim, as well as former city council candidate for Whitestone Queens Dennis Saffran, and former Bronx councilman Michael Benjamin.

Rounding out the panel will be the Presidents of the Northeast Queens and Jamaica chapters of the NAACP, Ken Cohen Jr. and Leroy Gadsen. The UFT has also expressed interest in sending a representative to join the panel. Ron Kim was invited but declined to participate.

This will be the first forum discussion to include members of the NAACP since the NAACP LDF, an independent legal rights organization, filed a complaint to the Office of Civil Rights of the US Department of Education claiming the SHSAT prevents African Americans and Latino Americans from enrolling in these schools. Supporters of the SHSAT feel that poor public education at inner city schools is the true reason that there is not a greater representation of these minorities.

The panel will be moderated by journalist Laura Shepard from The Queens Chronicle to ensure an unbiased and objective discussion.

Following the discussion will be a question and answer session open to the public.

Forum Details:

Date:               October 18, 2014

Time:               3pm-6pm

Location:         Taiwan Center Auditorium  137-44 Northern Blvd, Flushing NY 11354

About CoalitionEdu

CoalitionEdu is an advocacy group that supports preserving the finest traditions of the specialized high schools of NYC. We support keeping the Specialized High School Achievement Test as the admission standard to these schools. We represent alumni, parents, students and community leaders who have come together to support this cause.

Our website is www.CoalitionEdu.org

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Bid Protest Filed Against New Specialized High School Admission Test

10/1/2014

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CoalitionEdu
Coalition Supporting Specialized High Schools
www.CoalitionEdu.org
PRESS RELEASE                                                     10/01/2014
Contact:    David Lee   Spokesperson, CoalitionEdu           
                    646 249-6915                 
                    info@coalitionedu.org                        


Bid Protest Filed Against New Specialized High School Admission Test

Changes Violate State Law, Reduces Objectivity, Devalues Diploma

CoalitionEdu and several alumni, parents and prospective parents of New York City’s specialized high schools filed a protest yesterday with the New York City Department of Education (“DOE”), claiming that changes to the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (“SHSAT”) contemplated by the DOE’s Request for Proposals # R1061 (the “RFP”) would violate New York State law, would undermine the admissions process and the reputations of the specialized high schools, and would not advance the Administration’s stated goal of diversifying the specialized high schools.

Attorney Claude Millman of Kostelanetz & Fink is representing the protestors, who requested that the DOE refrain from using a constructed response or essay on the SHSAT, and refrain from administering translated versions of the SHSAT, because these actions would violate New York State law, which requires that specialized high school admissions must be by taking a competitive, objective and scholastic achievement examination.

Over 70% of NYC middle schoolers failed the statewide ELA and Math tests.  The obvious solution is for the Department of Education to improve education in middle school and earlier, but instead they propose to waste a huge amount of taxpayer money changing the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test by, among other things, adding an essay.  This obfuscation serves to further neglect the abject educational poverty of our city’s youth, introduces subjectivity and the potential for bias in the admissions process, and at a time when STEM education is more critical than ever, an essay in the SHSAT undermines the current and historical mission of many of the specialized high schools, namely to attract and develop talent in science.  Specialized high school admissions standards must remain objective, transparent, incorruptible and consistently applied to all applicants.  Keeping the high standards of the specialized high schools is vital to attracting families to New York City and enabling them to stay here.

Attachment:   Protest of RFP # R1061 – Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (SHSAT)

About CoalitionEdu
CoalitionEdu is an advocacy group that supports preserving the finest traditions of the specialized high schools of NYC. We support keeping the Specialized High School Achievement Test as the admission standard to these schools. We represent alumni, parents, students and community leaders that have come together to support this cause. We gathered over 6,000 signatures in a petition supporting our cause in under 2 weeks to oppose the bill to change the admissions policy. Other efforts include forums and public awareness.
Out website is www.CoalitionEdu.org
protest_of_rfp__r1061_shsat_00285052.pdf
File Size: 2094 kb
File Type: pdf
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