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I don't know what the standards are, but I think there should be a little (very little) compromise about admitting black and Latino kids to elite schools. I think that if black/Latino kids without an affluent background score within five percent (lower) than the lowest score it takes for white/Asian kids to be admitted, then the black/Latino kids should be admitted. If the gap is bigger than that, I don't think that the admittance of low-scoring kids would benefit anyone.
I think that too much "bending over backward" in helping some minorities has actually hurt the cause of their advancement more than it has helped. I know that many people think that successful blacks/Latinos are successful only because they received extra assistance and special treatment due to Affirmative Action and lowered admissions standards.
Are you saying black and Hispanic people are not good enough for school so we need to help them just because of their skin color?
Are you saying black and Hispanic people are not good enough for school so we need to help them just because of their skin color?
Isn’t that by definition racism?
To be clear, I think it is very wrong to help blacks/Hispanics a GREAT deal more than others because it is very patronizing and demeaning to them to do so. However, if they come from less than middle-class or affluent backgrounds, that is something else that makes them at a disadvantage, and so a LITTLE leeway might be in order. Also, the fact is that people in low-income areas are often (not always) at a disadvantage culturally, as many low-income families prefer to watch sitcoms and so-called reality shows as opposed to, say, shows about history or science or news. Of course, many middle-class families don't have so-called highbrow tastes, either, but I think it is true that affluent people are more likely to watch "informative" TV and go to museums than poorer people -- and blacks/Hispanics are more likely to be non-affluent than whites and Asians.
Now, I hate the fact that the above might be stereotyping, but not only is the above based on what I have learned through reading, but about 25 years ago, I had a job that took me from the homes of the very poor to those of the lower-upper class -- I visited over a hundred homes -- and so although I might be wrong, my opinion is based on my experience. However, my job did teach me that is very wrong to make assumptions about anyone based on their home or income or race or ancestry.
Coming from an affluent area doesn't guarantee your kid will be smart. Either the kid makes the cut or not. Anyone can work with their kids if they want to improve their scores. These kids will be labeled as cheaters. I'd hate to be the minority kid going there now because everyone will think you had to have help to get in. That's going backwards.
Yes -- well, not everyone -- but a great many people. And I also don't think "cheating" is exactly the right word. I think a lot of people think that lowering admission standards is just not fair -- never mind the fact that it is also not fair that some kids have WAY too much (imo) and other kids not enough.
Also, couldn't some people think that the ability of wealthy parent to buy special tutoring for their kids also be considered cheating?
Actually, although I do still think that blacks/Hispanics do have more to overcome, I think that one's background (affluent vs. poor) has more of a bearing as to whether one will succeed in life or not. Have you seen the movie, "The Florida Project"? If the little girl remained with her very young "white trash" mother, how much of a chance do you think she would have to succeed in life compared to the daughter of a black or Latino doctor or professor?
Mayor DeBlasio wants to scrap admission testing for elite high schools.
He points out that there is a majority of Asian and white kids attending these schools and he wants to apply a type of affirmative action to increase the rolls for minority kids.
“The Specialized High School Admissions Test isn’t just flawed — it’s a roadblock to justice, progress and academic excellence,”
Call me old fashioned but I still believe that if a kid studies his/her butt off they deserve to get into an elite school. Why should a kid that hasn't worked as hard be admitted just because of their skin colour?
It certainly does not seem fair to the kids that have worked hard.
We are talking about elite schools that cater to smart intelligent kids. By introducing kids that may not be as smart wouldn't they be facing struggles in the classroom to keep up OR will the schools be forced to dumb down the classes for everyone can get an "A" ?
If someone does not test well enough to get into the school then they shouldn't get in.
Deblasio is a nut.
What is next? Will pro sports teams like in the NBA that are dominated by black players be forced to lower their standards to accept white and Asian people?
Dumbing down the schools and lowering the standards is not the way to achieve excellence for the future.
I’m for it !!
Something has to wake that city up. This might actually do it.
I would love to have an honest conversation about this, but I dont think most people read the article.
Here is the part that is troubling to me, and why I disagree with the OP and others. Since the actual op ed is likely behind a paywall, i will simply go by the one quote.
Quote:
“A single, high-stakes exam is also unfair to students whose families cannot afford, or may not even know about, the availability of test-preparation tutors and courses,” de Blasio wrote.
While many people dont seem to understand why this matters, others will.
My 8th grade year, my high school failed the criteria when it came to the graduation exam. For the next year(exams were in late march) my high school made kids spend 20 minutes a day in each class do test taking prep. We learned specific ways to answer questions and get them correct, like the basics of "if one thing is incorrect, the entire statement is incorrect" all the way up to "If you dont know the answer, guess the same letter every time, because you have a greater possibility of getting it right that way. "
The next year, 90% of students passed the test and our actual average score was in the high 80's(70% is the score a student needed to make to pass) which put our school in the top 20 of the state.
Nothing had actually changed , teachers simply "taught the test" and every single person got that help.
Basing a child's entire future on whether or not they pass 1 test is stupid. Its the exact reason why colleges base your acceptance on more than just your ACT/SAT score.
Understanding the system is flawed shouldnt be a left or right thing.
I read this article yesterday. I am totally against changing the standards. Asians dominate in this school and apparently they are poor Asians so it's not like they have a wealth advantage over every other demographic trying to get in. They just work hard. They should get in and dominate if they are the best. Period.
My thoughts exactly. I went to a top ranking high school, and it was 95% Asian. Most of them weren't noticeably affluent. My boyfriends in high school were, but their families were also pragmatic who were more than willing to invest in their academic success. They moved to the ends of the earth to give their kids an edge.
Financially, I was better off than most at my school, but I always envied many of the Asian kids, because my parents were the opposite. If I brought home a B- and my parents noticed me studying to improve it, they outright discouraged me. According to them, if you can't ace a test the first time without studying, you're just naturally too dumb and shouldn't stress your silly little head off trying (yes, they phrased it that way).
I did my best to resist surrendering to that attitude, but that took a lot more energy to excel in that environment than if my parents had encouraged me to improve.
Expectations are no less influential than money.
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