Thread by @travtufts

I’ve had conversations about @BostonSchools #ExamSchools with equity advocates, but also with folks I’ve met knocking doors across the city. I appreciate that @BCassellius faces the same political barriers her predecessors did on the topic of admissions. #bospoli
[THREAD] 👇

https://twitter.com/annissaforbos/status/1179477120826904577

The statistics for #BostonLatinSchool, considered by some to be BPS’ “crown jewel” are plain enough. In a district ~14% white, BLS enrollment is ~46% white.
In a district ~31% Black and ~42% Latinx, BLS enrollment is 7.5% and 12.5% respectively.

Some folks argue that such a disparity is simply the result of “merit-based admissions.” That thinking imagines students in a racial and socio-economic vacuum, not the city of Boston where white family wealth is more than 20x that of families of color.
tbf.org/-/media/tbf/re…

How does Boston’s racial wealth gap debunk a “merit-based” admissions process?

The ISEE test (which determines 50% of admission) is in fact designed for private schools, and covers concepts outside of BPS (and Common Core) curriculum.
scholar.harvard.edu/files/joshuago…

The weight of the ISEE and its extra-curricular content drives a cottage industry of private test prep tutors with costs running into the thousands. Privileged families - eager to secure advantage for their kids - join tutoring wait lists.
thecrimson.com/article/2018/1…

That staggering gap in family wealth plays out in several ways once it is concentrated in select schools. Wealthier, more privileged families bring additional resources to a school. They run large-scale fundraising campaigns that most BPS schools can never hope to replicate.

The alumni from this privileged and resource-laden environment contribute to capital campaigns ($54M pledged ‘12-‘18) and provide a network of access to graduates.

In an attempt to rectify this inequity, BPS began its own free prep program, originally for students *that had already tested into its own version of Gifted & Talented tracks* in 3rd grade. So far it has failed to diversify exam school admissions.

wgbh.org/news/education…

Furthermore, the ISEE has never been screened for racial and ethnic bias, a common problem with standardized tests and one that is *part of BPS’ own requirements* for vendors — a requirement it ignores.
wgbh.org/news/education…

Doubling down on small gestures towards equity, BPS will now administer the ISEE during the school day instead of a Saturday. This increases the pool of test takers (cost of $340K to BPS) but fails to address the underlying problems with the test itself.
wbur.org/edify/2019/02/…

So then why – when faced with evidence of a problematic test, inequity in prep, opportunity hoarding by privileged families, and the inadequacy of band-aid solutions – why does the ISEE test remain a third rail in #bospoli?

New Superintendent @BCassellius comes to BPS with a focus on equity. Like her predecessors, she has already learned how @marty_walsh reacts when someone mentions that the ISEE Emperor Has No Clothes. It’s time to trust education professionals when they recognize inequity.

This isn’t new information. @LCRBOSTON and @BostonNAACP1911 have sounded the alarm for years.
What is lacking is the will of white and/or privileged Bostonians to acknowledge that these disparities are not the result of a meritocracy, but rather a designed inequity.

.@marty_walsh shuts down any talk of a more equitable admissions process because he fears blowback from angry and politically connected families accustomed to the status-quo.
It’s up to those folks to examine who bears the costs for the current, inequitable system.

Please read the tremendous work done by many folks who understand this subject with much more depth than I: @Kennedy_School @MollyBoigon @LCRBOSTON @BosEdEquity @BostonNAACP1911 @jmlarkin @GlobeVaznis @nhannahjones @eveewing @MaggieHagerman @akt1211