Win for foes of elite HS tests
ALBANY— A bill that would do away with the admission test for New York City’s specialized high schools cleared a key hurdle Wednesday but still faces long odds against winning approval this year.
The bill, which is a critical component of Mayor de Blasio’s plan to desegregate the specialized high schools, was narrowly approved by the Assembly’s Education Committee and sent on to the Rules Committee – putting it a step away from reaching the floor of the Assembly for a vote.
“This is history,” said Assemblyman Charles Barron (DBrooklyn), the bill’s sponsor. “This bill has been introduced three times and it never got a vote in the Education Committee.”
Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D-Bronx), in a statement, called the Education Committee’s vote a “first step” in creating a new admission system for the specialized high schools, but did not commit to bringing the measure to a vote before the Legislature’s session is scheduled to end on June 20.
“I will be having conversations with Assembly members and various stakeholders to determine how to proceed in order to best serve New York City’s school children,” Heastie said. “The Assembly majority will work deliberatively, speaking with all the affected communities, so that together we can find a resolution that benefits all of New York City’s students.”
Senate Education Committee Chairman Carl Marcellino (RNassau County) also told the Daily News on Wednesday that he opposes efforts to do away with the admission test.
“If you are going to try to increase participation, you find out why certain groups are not participating, are not getting in, and you help those groups out,” Marcellino said. “You don’t water down.”
Barron conceded the bill is unlikely to win approval this year.
“If it has to go to next year, we’ll have hearings,” Barron said. “We’ll get more input from people.”