CoalitionEdu, an organization that has been leading the fight against a bill known as A9979 , an amendment to replace the exam-only policy for a multiple criteria application to the specialized high schools, attended a special forum held yesterday by CDEC 26 at MS67 Bayside Queens. CoalitionEdu members David Lee, co-founder, and Melanee Farrah, an education specialist, took sides against UFT Vice President of High Schools Janella Hinds and NAACP Regional Director Ken Cohen. Ms. Hinds directed the UFT Task Force Report on reforming the specialized high school admission process which provided guidance for A9979.
The forum turned into a candid discussion on the impact to the Asian American community if there were a change to the single test admission policy. Ms. Hinds and Mr. Cohen claimed that a single test did not adequately identify a student’s achievement and resulted in a low number of Blacks and Hispanics at these schools. Lee countered by saying that if the task force report refers to the low enrollment of Blacks and Hispanics then the enrollment of Asians must be part of the conversation as well. That being the case, Lee pointed out that at top multi criteria screened schools that use subjective criteria for admission, like Townsend Harris, Beacon, Bard and Eleanor Roosevelt, have more whites, only marginally more blacks and half the ratio of Asians as compared to the specialized high schools.
Ms. Hinds claimed that top elite universities like Harvard and Yale consider multiple criteria for admission and that if it was good enough for them it should be good enough for the specialized high schools. Mr. Lee replied, “the multi criteria holistic approach to admission to these elite colleges had its origins in exclusion rather than inclusion. In the 1920's, interviews and essays were required to screen out high achieving Jews at the time and now it is being used to screen out Asians.” He pointed out that his daughter will have to score 15% higher on the MCAT than a Black or Hispanic to have the same chance of entering medical school. This information is available on the Association of American Medical Colleges Data site. https://www.aamc.org/data/facts/applicantmatriculant/157998/mcat-gpa-grid-by-selected-race-ethnicity.html
Politicians have begun to weigh in on this issue but Mr. Lee has been frustrated by elected officials who have not come out to help him or the Asian American community. Grant Lally, running for Congressman in the district which includes CDEC 26, issued a strong statement through a spokesperson at the meeting supporting the objectivity of the exam and an admission policy based strictly on merit. A month ago ,Congresswoman Grace Meng also defended the SHSAT and its impact on Asians in an opinion printed in the Daily News. State Senators Tony Avella and Toby Stavisky, and Councilman Peter Koo have all voiced their support for the SHSAT only policy.
Phil Gim, currently running against Assemblyman Ron Kim in Flushing, an area that sends a great number of students to these high schools, also continued to show his unequivocal support for the SHSAT by appearing at the CDEC meeting. Last week, Gim was part of a debate sponsored by the Queens Chronicle to debate the SHSAT with members of the NAACP who prefer a multi criteria approach. Ron Kim was also invited, but declined once again to speak to his constituents who would be most harmed by the proposed changes to SHSAT.
Ron Kim has been glaringly absent to Queens and Asian-American voters on this matter throughout this controversy over the last 5 months since the bill was introduced, but he has supported changes to the SHSAT in announcements outside the Queens and Asian-American communities, standing right with the UFT and the sponsors of the bill in July at the press conference announcing bill A9979. Ron Kim is a graduate of Riverdale Country School, a private school that charges $40,000 per year. Of the 5,400 Specialized High School seats available from the 8 exam high schools, 1,900 seats currently go to the Queens kids, and 60% go to kids on reduced or free lunches. These kids have worked hard to gain admission to Stuyvesant, Bronx Science and Brooklyn Tech based on their academic achievement. But Ron Kim wants to deny many of these economically-disadvantaged, but academically hard-working and successful immigrants this education. Mr. Lee, whose group has effectively lead the fight in Queens to defend the SHSAT was referring to Ron Kim when he voiced his frustration.
“This is an issue that directly affects the poor immigrants of Kim’s district who are his constituents. He has stood and joined the other side and has done nothing to help this assault from the powerful UFT and the Mayor, particularly when they come to his own backyard,” said Mr. Lee. “Ron Kim had two public opportunities to show up and present his point of view at high profile meetings and he failed both times to do so.”
“Instead,” Mr. Lee said, “ he has left it up to people like me, who is just an alumni and a parent, and who has no experience in fighting City Hall to defend the people of his district.” Mr. Lee said he supports people like Phil Gim and Grant Lally regardless of their party affiliation or ethnic background because they stand up for their constituents rather than pander to others for political purposes. “If I lived in their district, I would vote for someone like Phil Gim rather than Ron Kim despite the politics.” said Mr. Lee.
Contact: Spokesperson CoalitionEdu
646 249-6915 info@coalitionedu.org
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
The forum turned into a candid discussion on the impact to the Asian American community if there were a change to the single test admission policy. Ms. Hinds and Mr. Cohen claimed that a single test did not adequately identify a student’s achievement and resulted in a low number of Blacks and Hispanics at these schools. Lee countered by saying that if the task force report refers to the low enrollment of Blacks and Hispanics then the enrollment of Asians must be part of the conversation as well. That being the case, Lee pointed out that at top multi criteria screened schools that use subjective criteria for admission, like Townsend Harris, Beacon, Bard and Eleanor Roosevelt, have more whites, only marginally more blacks and half the ratio of Asians as compared to the specialized high schools.
Ms. Hinds claimed that top elite universities like Harvard and Yale consider multiple criteria for admission and that if it was good enough for them it should be good enough for the specialized high schools. Mr. Lee replied, “the multi criteria holistic approach to admission to these elite colleges had its origins in exclusion rather than inclusion. In the 1920's, interviews and essays were required to screen out high achieving Jews at the time and now it is being used to screen out Asians.” He pointed out that his daughter will have to score 15% higher on the MCAT than a Black or Hispanic to have the same chance of entering medical school. This information is available on the Association of American Medical Colleges Data site. https://www.aamc.org/data/facts/applicantmatriculant/157998/mcat-gpa-grid-by-selected-race-ethnicity.html
Politicians have begun to weigh in on this issue but Mr. Lee has been frustrated by elected officials who have not come out to help him or the Asian American community. Grant Lally, running for Congressman in the district which includes CDEC 26, issued a strong statement through a spokesperson at the meeting supporting the objectivity of the exam and an admission policy based strictly on merit. A month ago ,Congresswoman Grace Meng also defended the SHSAT and its impact on Asians in an opinion printed in the Daily News. State Senators Tony Avella and Toby Stavisky, and Councilman Peter Koo have all voiced their support for the SHSAT only policy.
Phil Gim, currently running against Assemblyman Ron Kim in Flushing, an area that sends a great number of students to these high schools, also continued to show his unequivocal support for the SHSAT by appearing at the CDEC meeting. Last week, Gim was part of a debate sponsored by the Queens Chronicle to debate the SHSAT with members of the NAACP who prefer a multi criteria approach. Ron Kim was also invited, but declined once again to speak to his constituents who would be most harmed by the proposed changes to SHSAT.
Ron Kim has been glaringly absent to Queens and Asian-American voters on this matter throughout this controversy over the last 5 months since the bill was introduced, but he has supported changes to the SHSAT in announcements outside the Queens and Asian-American communities, standing right with the UFT and the sponsors of the bill in July at the press conference announcing bill A9979. Ron Kim is a graduate of Riverdale Country School, a private school that charges $40,000 per year. Of the 5,400 Specialized High School seats available from the 8 exam high schools, 1,900 seats currently go to the Queens kids, and 60% go to kids on reduced or free lunches. These kids have worked hard to gain admission to Stuyvesant, Bronx Science and Brooklyn Tech based on their academic achievement. But Ron Kim wants to deny many of these economically-disadvantaged, but academically hard-working and successful immigrants this education. Mr. Lee, whose group has effectively lead the fight in Queens to defend the SHSAT was referring to Ron Kim when he voiced his frustration.
“This is an issue that directly affects the poor immigrants of Kim’s district who are his constituents. He has stood and joined the other side and has done nothing to help this assault from the powerful UFT and the Mayor, particularly when they come to his own backyard,” said Mr. Lee. “Ron Kim had two public opportunities to show up and present his point of view at high profile meetings and he failed both times to do so.”
“Instead,” Mr. Lee said, “ he has left it up to people like me, who is just an alumni and a parent, and who has no experience in fighting City Hall to defend the people of his district.” Mr. Lee said he supports people like Phil Gim and Grant Lally regardless of their party affiliation or ethnic background because they stand up for their constituents rather than pander to others for political purposes. “If I lived in their district, I would vote for someone like Phil Gim rather than Ron Kim despite the politics.” said Mr. Lee.
Contact: Spokesperson CoalitionEdu
646 249-6915 info@coalitionedu.org
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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