Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
If you're smart enough to get into Bronx Science or the like, you shouldn't need test prep. End of. It's like Diaz just wants to keep inundating this city with ridiculous ideas.
Having quota just for Bronx kids to get into the specialized schools would be wrong and unfair to other kids in NYC who want to go to Bronx Sci and American Studies.
But Diaz is definitely correct to say that basing admissions on one test on one day is wrong. It's beyond wrong IMO. It borders on the criminal. No other big city or state in the nation uses only one measure to select kids for their elite schools. Not a single one. No elite college bases admissions solely on a standardized test. Every other elite academic institution will use grades, essays, recommendations from teachers or something else in addition to a test. And do we believe kids from Boston Latin or Lowell in San Francisco or Central High in Philly or Northside Prep in Chicago are any dumber than the kids in Bronx Sci or any of our specialized schools? If that's what you think, keep dreaming.
Using other criteria wouldn't dumb anything down. But it would help identify smart kids of all ethnicities who could benefit from a high level education but aren't test wonks. And yes, those kids do exist. More of them than you might think.
But the admissions test is state law and Diaz can do little about that. It's also a false security blanket that gives some kids the impression that they're the smartest ones around, which will be a rude awakening when they find themselves working for the energetic, smart, and entrepreneurial kid who went to their neighborhood high school and state college instead of Stuyvesant and the Ivy League. And yes, that happens too more than you might think.
Having one test on one day is just fine. It is not perfect, and sure they can add essays, grades, community service, travel, cooking skills, heartbeats per minute, or any other random thing you want. But they don't and shouldn't have to change. I took the test, did not get into Bronx Science (although did get into Brooklyn Tech), and life goes on.
If all it takes is 1 test on one day, then it is really easy to get in: DO WELL ON THE ONE TEST. Regardless of your grades, the crappy school you go to, the neighborhood you live in, the color you are, and all the other mitigating factors which oftentimes cloud admissions, this one is straightforward and equalizing. Invest heavily in making sure kids are well prepared for this one test, and you will no doubt have lots of Bronx kids in Bronx Science.
The simple solution is free test Prep and tutoring for any kid in the Bronx, paid for by the city/Bronx...and you will open the floodgates for all these Bronx kids into Bronx Science (and other great colleges afterward). OR you can do it Ruben Diaz's way....play the race/poverty card, make everyone else change to acomodate them, and relieve the kids of any responsibility to earn their way in.
Ruben Diaz is a straight poverty pimp and I will be glad when he is gone. I am hoping a big gay scandal will oust him, and his father would them disown him too.
This is not the way to do it. Additional assistance and programs early on (before high school and certainly before college) for the economically disadvantaged would make a lot more sense--it's been clearly shown over and over that having additional work, assistance, and time spent studying levels the playing field in a very concrete way.
But the admissions test is state law and Diaz can do little about that. It's also a false security blanket that gives some kids the impression that they're the smartest ones around, which will be a rude awakening when they find themselves working for the energetic, smart, and entrepreneurial kid who went to their neighborhood high school and state college instead of Stuyvesant and the Ivy League. And yes, that happens too more than you might think.
Yup. My middle school average was higher than those of many of my peers who went to a technical high school. I took the SHSAT, got a high score, but chose to just go to my zoned school.
In any case, it's not like it's the end of the world if you don't get into a specialized high school. The honors program at my local school is just as good as any program in a technical high school. The difference of course is that the entire school isn't full of high-achieving students like in the technical high schools. But most of the people I associate with are other high-achieving members of the program. A lot of the people barely missed the cutoff for the specialized high schools but still maintain very high averages (and if it matters, there are plenty of minorities there, including myself)
One of those instances where I'm in complete agreement with you.
(Here's a fascinating, although admittedly radical solution to the problem: people should not only get up off their duffs and vote on Election Day, but they should also pay close attention to who they're voting for. Who would've imagined? If you put intelligent, dedicated people in office...you could wind up with intelligent, dedicated government! Yeah, I know just out outrageous that sounds. Go figure).
Yes Fred, you are 100% correct. We get who we vote for. All special groups who can buy or influcence POLs should be disbanded. They bankrupt democracy with their money--illogical but true.
Having one test on one day is just fine. It is not perfect, and sure they can add essays, grades, community service, travel, cooking skills, heartbeats per minute, or any other random thing you want. But they don't and shouldn't have to change. I took the test, did not get into Bronx Science (although did get into Brooklyn Tech), and life goes on.
If all it takes is 1 test on one day, then it is really easy to get in: DO WELL ON THE ONE TEST. Regardless of your grades, the crappy school you go to, the neighborhood you live in, the color you are, and all the other mitigating factors which oftentimes cloud admissions, this one is straightforward and equalizing. Invest heavily in making sure kids are well prepared for this one test, and you will no doubt have lots of Bronx kids in Bronx Science.
The simple solution is free test Prep and tutoring for any kid in the Bronx, paid for by the city/Bronx...and you will open the floodgates for all these Bronx kids into Bronx Science (and other great colleges afterward). OR you can do it Ruben Diaz's way....play the race/poverty card, make everyone else change to acomodate them, and relieve the kids of any responsibility to earn their way in.
Ruben Diaz is a straight poverty pimp and I will be glad when he is gone. I am hoping a big gay scandal will oust him, and his father would them disown him too.
How about make it free for all kids, even those who come from families that have some money? Since they will pay the taxes to 'make it free' should they not too benefit from the City/State largess?
But the admissions test is state law and Diaz can do little about that. It's also a false security blanket that gives some kids the impression that they're the smartest ones around, which will be a rude awakening when they find themselves working for the energetic, smart, and entrepreneurial kid who went to their neighborhood high school and state college instead of Stuyvesant and the Ivy League. And yes, that happens too more than you might think.
So are you saying we should be extending this false security blanket to the disadvantaged kids in the Bronx or are they good where they are since their innate entrepreneurial spirit will allow them to shine even though they went to a neighborhood high school and state college? I'm really confused by what you are saying. As you say, smart is smart regardless of whether a person went to an elite institution. So why all this hand wringing about the under representation of kids of certain ethnicities?
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
