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They should expand the city-sponsored prep program. Some think that this is open to everyone, but a kid needs to have a very high state exam score to be eligible. Some kids have been going to many hours of additional schooling for their whole lives, and they are the ones who tend to do better on the state exams and are therefore eligible for these free specialized high school prep classes.
A surprising number children of low income Asian immigrants are going to these quite costly programs, and years later getting into the specialized schools. In my opinion, it's a racket. WNYC did a profile once of a "typical" family. They were a family of four (who also owned a house) in Queens supposedly making 24K and getting the earned income tax credit. The taxpayers are obviously helping to fund these cram schools already, so why not fund them for everyone?
I'm not saying that they are not working hard, but many are also using the system to their advantage.
My husband, a black kid from East Harlem (who is now 44) got into Bronx Science (but didn't go) without studying at all. His sister got into several as well without any prep. They are bright but not superstars. There is simply much more competition now than in the past.
I totally agree with the city-sponsored prep program for these exams. I think they need to do studies on the school curriculum to see if it even teaches the material on these exams. And I can tell you from growing up in NYC, the answer was no back then. For example asking kids to do simple SINE/COSINE formula plug in problems before they ever saw them is to me a huge inequality in access to education.
However I disagree with your assessment through your example that "Asians" are taking advantage of the system. The fact of the matter is, all poor people are taking advantage of the system, albeit some actually felt that parenting was a duty and not a one-nighter. The poorer you are the more you take advantage of the system period.
If you really want true racial economic equality there is no other way but to not only have quotas in the education sphere, but on employment as well. You need strict racial quotas for all government jobs, i.e. law enforcement, fire department, sanitation, etc and if any private company like Google wants to get beneficial tax breaks setting up offices in the city they would need to abide by these racial quotas as well. Only then can you have true economic equality by racial groups, albeit at the expense of a couple of minority groups. I'd like to see who is this country would want to see these policies get implemented.
No that's not true economic equity at all. Racial quotas work on rich black/ Hispanic kids vs poor white/asian kids? Are those rich black/ Hispanic kids gets better education AND preferential racial quotas ? True equality is easy and simple : no one get any preference over race ! just some assistants for economically disadvantage family kids which we're already doing.
Instead of wasting money on the latest Air Jordans and miscellaneous ghetto bling, spend it on test prep instead. Take a lesson from these asian families. Many of them are poor immigrants and sacrifice a lot to get their kids ahead.
The issue is that the vast majority of Hispanic and Black students are competing with Asians who send their kids off to study programs as early as 11 years old, sometimes younger. Just like with the influx of 2200+ SAT scores, these schools have an oversupply of children who get perfect SHSAT scores. The system is broken in the sense not every child has access to such programs to ensure success. What needs to happen is to improve the education system overall and not create an environment of elitism.
However, decades prior the minority population at those HS were much much much higher than present. Therefore its safe to conclude that Hispanic and African American children lack mentors in their lives. Everyone likes to use the cliche, "oh their kids go to SHSAT prep classes" but we did not have these expensive study programs back in the 70s, 80s, 90s. The truth is the lack of guidance equals lack of motivation. If no one is telling your child to study for the SHSAT he or she wont as it is ingrained in a child's DNA to play first and work latter. Only those who have been groomed or influenced inherently know the importance of education.
In an effort to fix this, I know that some after school programs were created for distinct minority groups, but it is not enough and imo the government has neglected this issue long enough. While yes the opposition can say, "well Asians did it" the issues minorities (other-black-asian-hispanic) face have fundamental differences. Needless to say, I do not believe replacing the student roster with less deserving kids is the answer and if anything will lower the quality and reputation of any school that does thus reducing the opportunities of a child who worked hard.
Anyways, I think parents take our proven to be inferior education system too seriously. All your child needs to do is learn the SAT. Instead of spending thousands in study programs, they should be sending their kids to SAT prep programs because K-12 that is the only test that matters. All is not lost and while your child may not get the exposure, in reality everything leads up to that robotic SAT test anyone can learn in less than a year with or without prep courses.
Asian-Americans receive less than 1% of total federal funding in support. Maybe the minorities who do receive more funding should spend their time wisely instead of squandering it.
Many of them are poor immigrants and sacrifice a lot to get their kids ahead.
Exactly. Not sure why so many people assume these Asians all come from affluent families. Sure some do, but probably the minority of them. And the ones coming from affluent families are probably buying the latest Air Jordans and still testing in. A lot of it might have to do with the parents travelling from the other side of the World to give their children any opportunity whatsoever.
Exactly. Not sure why so many people assume these Asians all come from affluent families. Sure some do, but probably the minority of them. And the ones coming from affluent families are probably buying the latest Air Jordans and still testing in. A lot of it might have to do with the parents travelling from the other side of the World to give their children any opportunity whatsoever.
The overwhelming majority of Asian immigrants not on a student/work visa are among the poorest of the poor in their native countries. On this forum, some people think that all Asians are rich, until they start talking about food stamps and someone else will mention that Asians go crazy on them or how they're poor and moving into neighborhoods and ruining them by opening low class 99 cents stores.
As a parent I would empty my bank account for my son until he's an adult of course and by then he needs to take care of his own s**t. It would break my heart to know that I didn't at least try to provide him with enough support to have a fighting chance in this world. So it's strange to me when people think parenting is a cultural thing. Are people saying that some minority groups don't think like this or have the same feelings towards their offspring?
Oh well. I didn't go to a specialized high school (I didn't apply to one, either) but ended up attending a college that was full of students who did. As an incoming freshman, you were a n00b...didn't matter where you came from in your former life, you started at the ground floor.
Asians reigning supreme at the specialized high schools doesn't really surprise me, either. Good for them. I'm not losing any sleep. I will just do my job as a parent to my children and I have no doubt that they will be successful in their own way whether they go to XYZ school or not.
As a parent I would empty my bank account for my son until he's an adult of course and by then he needs to take care of his own s**t. It would break my heart to know that I didn't at least try to provide him with enough support to have a fighting chance in this world. So it's strange to me when people think parenting is a cultural thing. Are people saying that some minority groups don't think like this or have the same feelings towards their offspring?
Maybe, if that is what statistics are telling us. But I didn't say nor try to insinuate that. Was just saying that if you risked everything to sneak out of one country to illegally enter another while crossing oceans and a travelling a half World away, you might see a little bit more initiative to succeed.
Maybe, if that is what statistics are telling us. But I didn't say nor try to insinuate that. Was just saying that if you risked everything to sneak out of one country to illegally enter another while crossing oceans and a travelling a half World away, you might see a little bit more initiative to succeed.
Yep I would have to think that would be true. Many immigrants think of this country as the land of opportunity.
I totally agree with the city-sponsored prep program for these exams. I think they need to do studies on the school curriculum to see if it even teaches the material on these exams. And I can tell you from growing up in NYC, the answer was no back then. For example asking kids to do simple SINE/COSINE formula plug in problems before they ever saw them is to me a huge inequality in access to education.
However I disagree with your assessment through your example that "Asians" are taking advantage of the system. The fact of the matter is, all poor people are taking advantage of the system, albeit some actually felt that parenting was a duty and not a one-nighter. The poorer you are the more you take advantage of the system period.
This is not simply reading to your child or helping them with your homework. If weekend and summer school are what it realistically takes to have a decent chance to get into the specialized high schools in this day and age, then policy makers should acknowledge it and make arrangements accordingly. This type of education is a cultural norm for many of these immigrants, so the kids may have many friends who are doing the same activities. And this is simply out of reach financially for those who are truly poor.
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