Dear Families, The Senate Assembly has put forth Bill A7510 which intends to repeal the Hecht-Calandra Act and the Discovery Program. The Hecht-Calandra Act requires a uniform exam to be administered for specialized high school admissions (Specialized High School Admissions Test (SHSAT)). The Discovery Program is designed to benefit disadvantaged students from low-income Communities by allowing students who score just below the SHSAT cutoff to earn admission to the Specialized High Schools by attending a summer program. Please send emails to Assembly Members on the Education Committee to voice your opinion. Below is a template letter. As always, please feel free to personalize the letter. If you are able to, please also call a few of the Assembly Members on the Education Committee and tell them your thoughts on A7510. Ask them to instead introduce bills requiring the NYC DOE to improve the quality of education provided to all students in all schools starting at elementary school. Find your Assembly Member here. Subject: Please Oppose Bill A7510 Dear Assembly Member, Fewer than 50% of NYC public school students are proficient in English and Math. The pandemic has exacerbated this situation and it is widely expected that the proficiency rate will decrease significantly. We request the introduction of laws requiring the NYC Department of Education to improve elementary and middle school education. Rather than demanding the DOE improve education at all levels, NYS Assembly Education Committee Chair Michael Benedetto introduced bill A7510 to eliminate the Specialized High School Admissions Test (“SHSAT”) and terminate the Discovery program which offers low income minority students who just missed the Specialized High School cutoff an opportunity to gain admission by completing additional preparatory course work. By eliminating the SHSAT, bill A7510 not only lowers admission standards but intentionally targets and discriminates against a large number of Asian students – many who come from low income or immigrant families. Similar proposals have been shown to reduce Asian student enrollment by 50%. By ending the Discovery Program, many low income minority students will no longer have a pathway to the Specialized High Schools. We request sponsors Assembly Member Benedetto and co-sponsors Assembly Members Charles Barron and Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn to withdraw their bill targeting the many low income, immigrant and minority students, and instead focus on developing laws and policies that require the NYC DOE to improve the quality of education for all students. Expanding and improving education starting in elementary school should be the solution, not Assembly bills penalizing high performing low income, minority and immigrant 8th grade students by limiting their access to Specialized High Schools. Please oppose bill A7510. Thank you, [Your Signature] State Assembly Members – Education Committee: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1itPlqQ29nE8vYvUAZd5yCwej2dHjxloR3MiaazxyRvI/edit?usp=sharing Look up your assembly member:
The Senate Assembly has put forth Bill A7510 which intends to repeal the Hecht-Calandra Act and the Discovery Program. The Hecht-Calandra Act requires a uniform exam to be administered for specialized high school admissions (Specialized High School Admissions Test (SHSAT)). The Discovery Program is designed to benefit disadvantaged students from low-income Communities by allowing students who score just below the SHSAT cutoff to earn admission to the Specialized High Schools by attending a summer program.
Please send emails to Assembly Members on the Education Committee to voice your opinion. Below is a template letter. As always, please feel free to personalize the letter.
If you are able to, please also call a few of the Assembly Members on the Education Committee and tell them your thoughts on A7510. Ask them to instead introduce bills requiring the NYC DOE to improve the quality of education provided to all students in all schools starting at elementary school. Find your Assembly Member here.
Subject: Please Oppose Bill A7510 Dear Assembly Member, Fewer than 50% of NYC public school students are proficient in English and Math. The pandemic has exacerbated this situation and it is widely expected that the proficiency rate will decrease significantly. We request the introduction of laws requiring the NYC Department of Education to improve elementary and middle school education. Rather than demanding the DOE improve education at all levels, NYS Assembly Education Committee Chair Michael Benedetto introduced bill A7510 to eliminate the Specialized High School Admissions Test (“SHSAT”) and terminate the Discovery program which offers low income minority students who just missed the Specialized High School cutoff an opportunity to gain admission by completing additional preparatory course work. By eliminating the SHSAT, bill A7510 not only lowers admission standards but intentionally targets and discriminates against a large number of Asian students – many who come from low income or immigrant families. Similar proposals have been shown to reduce Asian student enrollment by 50%. By ending the Discovery Program, many low income minority students will no longer have a pathway to the Specialized High Schools. We request sponsors Assembly Member Benedetto and co-sponsors Assembly Members Charles Barron and Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn to withdraw their bill targeting the many low income, immigrant and minority students, and instead focus on developing laws and policies that require the NYC DOE to improve the quality of education for all students. Expanding and improving education starting in elementary school should be the solution, not Assembly bills penalizing high performing low income, minority and immigrant 8th grade students by limiting their access to Specialized High Schools. Please oppose bill A7510. Thank you, [Your Signature] State Assembly Members – Education Committee: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1itPlqQ29nE8vYvUAZd5yCwej2dHjxloR3MiaazxyRvI/edit?usp=sharing Look up your assembly member: