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The realities of the “lies” that were spread by the DoE and the Supreme Leader about improved schools is a bitter ones for the minority students that comprise a big part of NYC Public Schools.  Improved curriculum, organization and reshuffling means zip to majority minority students that apply to the elite schools.  

Allison, unfortunately there is no wait list. The schools actually accept more students than they have room for, knowing that not all will choose to attend.

Aren’t Asians minorities? Am I missing something?

So GothamSchools banned me again. Apparently, my commentary is so abusive to the Ed Deformers that I should be silenced.

It’s an empty gesture, I know all about proxy IPs.

My voice will not be silenced.

In the long arc or history the verdict will give the DOE a letter grade of F on Race. The department made an attempt and found success on some parameters but it did so on the confines of a seperate but equal doctrine. The doctrine of Plessy v. Ferguson was evidenced in elite public schools and their racial disparities. It was also evident in the hiring policies at the DOE that included few blacks at the top which was filled with, young white ivy leaguers, or older white socialites; who carried the rhetoric of equity but none of its experiences or struggles. History and hard data will also show that as black parents grew frustruated with their inabiltiy to get into these elite schools, to placate them they drew up plans for charter schools that while better than some neighborhood schools did not change the racial practices of schools that excluded large number of black students. In the end in 2011 as in 1896 separate was not equal. Thank you Anna for this bold piece of reporting.

That there is a need to improve the education of children of all races goes without saying. But why is no one offering congratulations to those that made it into one of these elite schools, whatever race, or nationality they may be? These kids are in no way culpable for problems that exist in the system. They worked very hard, and deserve the seat that was offered them.

Although the DOE and Mayor of our city should be held responsible for all children’s education, they can’t be held responsible for our children’s total education.  As a parent of a child who was just accepted yesterday into an “elite” specialized high school, I know that her middle school, although considered fabulous and constantly a boastful recipient of ‘A’ grades in that ridiculous city-wide annual contest did not prepare her for the SHSAT.  Not. Even. Close.

Have you looked at the material on that test?  

So I prepared her myself.  We couldn’t afford the Kaplan courses (ha! Right!) but we did afford the $17.00 Kaplan prep guide and all last summer I sawed away at that book way past midnight and way after the kid went to bed so that I could learn the material (I never had before….I’m not particularly educated) so that the next evening after dinner we could sit at the kitchen table for a couple of hours and I could ploddingly “teach” her that section’s material.  Believe me, the material was completely new to her.  We availed ourselves of the free practice test at the Kaplan Center (and I endured a 2 hour sales pitch) and every Saturday she spent 2 hours in the kitchen, stove timer set, doing tests from previous years that are free for all on the DOE website.  

She turned down invitations to hang out.  She cried.  She yelled.  I yelled.  We hugged.  We worked.  I’m not kidding. 

And that is how my child earned a very, very solid and respectable score on the SSHAT.  Her skin color, mayor, zip code, teachers, chancellor, etc. had NOTHING to do with it.  Her mom had about 60% to do with it.  The rest was her.  She wanted it very, very badly and she knew, like most stuff in her life, nobody was going to just hand it over to her.

This was an incredibly important lesson for her.  I’m so proud of her (us).

Take it into your own hands, parents and students.  Claim your power.

The system isn’t coming around soon.

To Lori, parent,

That is exactly the way I did with my own son. Except I didn’t just do it for one examination. I home schooled him exclusively through high school which he tried but dropped out of after 2 years because of the pathetic pace. (He was taught all his math courses through Calc 1 at home.) He then went to a local community college, earned his GED, outstripped all of the college’s math courses, entered RPI as an upperclassman all before he was 18. He was able to excel b/c he was constantly given material challenging to his abilities.

All children are capable of excelling in that fashion. All it takes is a committed parent, a tall order in too many households. So congrats to you, Lori. And the prime beneficiary, your daughter who has learned the lesson of hard work and reward.

I had some interactions with school officials when he was about 5, quickly realizing that it was a game rigged not to his favor

To parent Lori:

Bravo to you and your daughter. You both decided on a course of action, took it and followed thru. Very well done. This is meant as a compliment, you are indeed a Tiger Mom! High expectations coupled with love and compassion as Amy Chua says. Go get ‘em.

Joe

Why is anyone surprised by the racial breakdown of the results?  When an A- at Stuy is called a “Black fail,” instead of an “Asian fail,” you’ll see a largely black student body.  The families and cultures that value academic success and are willing to make the sacrifices and put in the hard work to achieve that success are the ones that will make up a disproportionate part of the student population at elite institutions.  That is something to be celebrated and emulated, not bemoaned. The Hunter test and SHSAT are major news stories every year in the NYC asian communities.  These are aspirational events for entire communities.  When the black and hispanic communities put the same emphasis on achieving academic excellence, I’m sure they will achieve the same results.  Till then, why blame the department of ED?  Put the blame right where it belongs, on the parents, and on the culture, that values backboards over blackboards and jump shots over SAT’s.