The Specialized High School Admissions Test (SHSAT) contract has finally been approved. After a 5-hour hearing on the evening of the 18th, the New York City Panel for Educational Policy (PEP) passed a five-year contract with the testing company Pearson Inc. with 14 votes in favor (2 votes against, 4 abstentions). With the new contract in place, the Education Department will be able to provide entrance exams for students applying to specialized high schools.
Many Chinese parents gathered outside Sunset Park High School before the hearing, calling for “approval of the contract without delay.” State Assemblyman Felix Ortiz, City Councilwoman Claudia C. Zapata, newly elected State Senator Kevin Chen, and Chief of Staff for Assemblyman Billy Kurton were present to testify. Many students, parents, and education advocates spoke at the hearing, emphasizing the importance of SHSAT for students’ futures and urging PEP to renew the contract to ensure fairness and stability in the exams. Opponents questioned the fairness of the test, arguing it disadvantages families with limited resources, stating, “If the contract doesn’t pass, the sky won’t fall.”
Linda Quarles, a parent of graduates and current students, strongly supported the renewal of the SHSAT contract. She pointed out that those against the contract are depriving young people of the opportunity to enter specialized high schools, which she believes is a slap in the face for all young people. Quarles mentioned that she had spoken with numerous parents in the past few weeks and they were confused about the vote, feeling that opponents were taking advantage of their opportunity without allowing others to enjoy the same opportunity.
She criticized the false claims about the black student population at Brooklyn Technical High School, noting that in the 1980s, over 50% of students at the school were black. She believed that the main reason for the decrease in the proportion of black students was the termination of over sixty G&T gifted and talented programs for middle schools, which were closed under the guise of “equality” but actually harmed the children.
She cited the situation in District 15 in Brooklyn, where after the implementation of so-called diversity and enrollment initiatives, the number of students entering specialized high schools plummeted by 50%, with MS51 dropping by 73% – the school sent 122 students to specialized high schools in 2019, but only 33 last year. She emphasized that maintaining a single entrance exam not only improves school and student performance but is also fair to everyone.
Steve Stowe, Chair of CEC 20, strongly supported the approval of the Pearson contract. He noted that CEC had passed a resolution supporting the contract by a vote of 10 to 1. He believed that lowering standards and depriving opportunities was not the answer to the lack of black and Hispanic representation in specialized high schools; instead, more accelerated learning opportunities should be created in underserved communities.
Stowe criticized the practice of mixed-ability classrooms, believing it hampers students’ potential. He emphasized that test preparation is not a panacea for admission and that the free prep courses offered in New York City public schools are often underutilized. He also pointed out that the claim that specialized high schools receive more funding is untrue, as the cost of educating children in specialized high schools is 30% lower than in general high schools.
Lastly, Stowe urged opponents to stop inciting jealousy and resentment in the community and emphasized that not entering specialized high schools does not mean children are destined to struggle in life. He believed that more accelerated learning options should be created for the entire city instead of dismantling specialized high schools.
Benjamin Morden, one of the Manhattan representatives on the Citywide High School Council, has served on the Education Committee for six years. He emphasized the importance of renewing the SHSAT contract, noting that not passing the contract would harm many children. He mentioned that over the past 25 years, New York City has lost 300,000 K-12 students, equivalent to the size of the Chicago Public Schools district.
Morden called for giving opportunities to the 30,000 students striving for excellence, emphasizing the importance of the specialized high school admissions process. He pointed out that 45 Nobel Prize winners have graduated from New York City public schools, with one-third of them coming from specialized high schools. He believed that the next generation should be given the same opportunities and urged for the right decision to be made in supporting the renewal of the SHSAT contract.
Julia Zhu, Chair of the Asian-Pacific Islander American Association, stated that although Mayor Adams has retained the program, New York City would not be able to proceed with the SHSAT without testing. She emphasized that the SHSAT contract was not on the agenda, and the city’s gifted program is now virtually defunct. To save the SHSAT, they launched a public letter campaign, with 5,000 parents already signing and over 1,300 emails sent in the past 48 hours. Zhu urged PEP members to immediately approve the SHSAT contract to ensure that students in the coming years can take the test and guarantee seventh-grade students that their fall exams will proceed.
Assistant to Congressman Goldman, Lingxia Ye testified personally, stating that the politicization of the SHSAT exam has caused significant division. She pointed out that New York City has not systematically improved educational outcomes across the district and that opponents attacking the SHSAT exam choose to attack schools that have brought good results for children. She believed that such attacks only create divisions and do not solve problems. Ye emphasized the need to stop dividing the people of New York and focus on improving the entire education system.