,
7 tweets,
2 min read
Read on Twitter
This is infuriating. When I got into Stuyvesant in 1999, I will never forget looking at the demographics that said black and Latino students each represented 4% of the student population — and it has only gotten worse since then.
Plain & simple: I got in because I benefitted from 2 programs. Prep for Prep & Math Science Institute. They prepared me for the test by taking practice tests over & over. Once I walked into Stuy, I felt on equal footing w/ other students, including those who pay for programs.
But without the programs I would not have gotten in. All these local New York figures are pitting kids against each other & it’s not right. One of my best HS buddies is Asian from a working class background and he often reminds us that his parents also didn’t have $ for programs.
He’s from Queens just like me. We weren’t against each other. But more programs for minority students would help prepare them for a very specific test, unlock their potential, and give them a great education.
The numbers quite literally could not be worse. Seven black students admitted to Stuy and 33 Latino students up from 27 last year. Even gains would make a difference in the lives of students.
I went from a junior high school in Queens where I felt unsafe because of all the fights to a great high school with access to incredible faculty where I always felt safe. More minority kids deserve this in such a great city like New York.
*small gains
