NYC Residents & Activists Sue School Admissions System For Racism

In 2011, only 3 in 5 black or Hispanic students graduated from a city high school within four years, compared to 4 in 5 white and Asian students, according to the Urban Justice Center. The most startling statistic reports that only 13 percent of black students and 15 percent of Hispanic students demonstrated college readiness.

Another lawsuit was filed earlier this month with the state’s Supreme Court, challenging a policy that gives preference to younger siblings whose family members are already enrolled in gifted and talented programs. Seats in the program are so limited that some parents considered temporarily adopting out their children to citywide faculty in order to secure a spot.

Janet Roberts, director of product development at Aristotle Circle, a tutoring company, commented on the quality of the city’s education, suggesting that students of all circumstances are intellectually inhibited by limited city resources.

“At the end of the day,” she said, “it’s just so horrible to be a student in New York City right now.”

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