First Social Awareness post: An Unfair Process (question #2)

The New York City high school admission process is complicated, time-consuming and stressful. It favors families where there are educated and involved parents who can understand and deal with the process. The Department of Education wants every student to have an equal opportunity to attend a good high school so they created the current match process where students rank their choices and the schools rank the students. There are eight admission methods including the specialized high school admission test, auditions, screened, unscreened, ed opt and zoned. There are workshops, fairs, tours and open houses to learn about the process and varied schools.

While there are over 400 high schools, there are only a handful of desirable high schools with high academic standards, varied programs and activities and high graduation rates.  This means that students citywide are competing for a very small number of seats at the best schools.  Because the process is so difficult, not all of the most qualified students are able to go to the best schools. Students and families who aren’t able to understand the process are at a disadvantage. Students, whose parents do not speak, read or write English have difficulty understanding all the information, asking questions and advocating for their children.  Furthermore, students whose parents work multiple jobs to make ends meet don’t have the time to attend the various resource meetings, schedule the required interviews and auditions and discuss and decide between all the options. 

The Department of Education could change the process so that all students, not just the ones whose parents are directly involved, have equal access to the best schools. The Department of Education could eliminate the match process and replace it with a system where students are randomly selected into schools where they meet the admissions requirements. The Department of Education should also increase the number of good high schools by no longer allowing the best principals, teachers and programs to be concentrated in the best schools.  Additionally, the best schools could be required to admit some students that don’t meet the admissions requirements.  The Department of Education could also make the match process easier by taking over the scheduling of tours, open houses, tests, auditions and interview dates, which are now done by the individual schools.  This would make the current process easier and more convenient for students and their parents. The high school admissions process should not be so complicated, time-consuming and stressful and should be fair for all students regardless of their family situation.