Progressives Seek to Dismantle NYC’s Premier High Schools Under the Banner of ‘Equity’
Mayor Adams and Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos express confidence that the city Panel for Education Policy will approve the contract for an admissions exam for New York City’s elite public high schools during its meeting on Wednesday evening. However, this will merely represent a minor hurdle in the ongoing progressive agenda against these institutions.
This is a significant concern: Advocates for “equity” and those against testing have sought to eliminate the contract for the Specialized High School Admission Test, despite state law designating it as the primary method for admissions to Bronx Science, Brooklyn Tech, Stuyvesant, and five other top-tier schools.
This leaves 30,000 anxious families worried that their children may end up in educational uncertainty if the PEP decides against the new five-year, $17 million contract with education company Pearson.
This situation benefits no one: It would not make admissions “fairer,” but merely deprive everyone of opportunities.
The “elite eight” high schools are recognized for their academic excellence and have long been a source of frustration for the left.
Recently, advocates for “equity” have voiced concerns that the race-neutral testing primarily admits first- and second-generation immigrant children from Asian, South Asian, and Eastern European backgrounds.
Black and Hispanic students constitute approximately 10% of enrollment; activists are pushing for this to change—without addressing the inadequacies in the K-8 public school system that leave these children ill-prepared for both the exam and the demands of an elite school environment.
Former Mayor Bill de Blasio dedicated much of his eight years in office to appeasing the far-left, including initiatives to eliminate the test-in admissions process; his appointed chancellor, Richard Carranza, once referred to these elite high schools as “the epicenter of privilege.”
That particular absurdity came to an end when Mayor Adams assumed office—though the Legislature, influenced by the United Federation of Teachers, has been diluting mayoral control over schools by expanding the PEP and altering its regulations, so his appointees do not always dictate the outcome of votes.
Moreover, pressure from the left and the unions can sometimes influence the mayor’s PEP members, which is a key reason why the vote on the Pearson contract has faced numerous delays.
That being said, Adams is fully committed to preserving (and even enhancing!) robust academic opportunities for gifted learners—but this demands ongoing attention from City Hall, which can sometimes lose focus.
We anticipate that the vote on Wednesday evening will finally yield a positive outcome.
However, it is deeply concerning that a nonpartisan, non-ideological objective—ensuring sustained educational opportunities for the city’s most gifted students—frequently finds itself at risk because many stakeholders in New York politics prioritize their interests over the children’s.
