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By: Elizabeth Guerrero
NYC public schools are some of the most segregated schools in the nation. There are almost 1,800 schools and over 1 million students and yet the education system here fails to recognize the inequality that hinders the futures of many students of color.
One example is the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (SHSAT). It is a test taken to gain access to one of eight specialized high schools in the city. The problem is that as of this year only 9% of students offered seats to these specialized high schools are Black and Latinx. It is an issue that goes much deeper than these numbers. Although programs have been created to increase the number of Black and Latinx students at these schools, the 3% decrease over the course of one year shows that more action has to be taken. If this test is not abolished or the starting line isn’t evened out, the numbers will continue to get worse. The education system in NYC fails to recognize the importance of education for students of color right alongside their privileged white peers.
As a student at one of these specialized high schools, I am upset at the fact that my background is underrepresented within a space I am supposed to feel comfortable in. Students from communities filled with BIPOC are not offered the same opportunities as other students. Many immigrant parents choose to send their kids to schools hours away so that they can attend schools with more resources.
A 2013-2014 report showed that District 24, a 64% Hispanic community, receives the least amount of funding per pupil compared to all districts of NYC. The difference between the amount of money received by District 24 per pupil and the amount received by the most funded district is $3,800. Although I have spent the first 8 years of my life in District 24 I never went to school there because my parents knew it was not the best opportunity for me. Instead, I traveled more than an hour away to attend a school located in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, a section of the city with an incredibly rich background. My peers who did attend school in District 24 do not get the same chance to thrive and learn. They are not aware of tests such as the SHSAT and when they do find out, there is a last minute attempt to do well on this test compared to students who take expensive prep classes for years.
New York City’s education system is consistently failing Black and Brown students. It is a fight for the futures of the students of color who are on the front lines of this battle. As a Latinx student involved in the specialized high school community it is my role to demonstrate that students of color are just as capable when given the elbow room to prosper.
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