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MARGARET S. CHIN STANDARDS AND ETHICS
YOUTH SERVICES
COUNCIL MEMBER, 1 DISTRICT, MANHATTAN
ST

June 6, 2018

Honorable Bill de Blasio

Mayor of the City of New York
City Hall
New York, NY 10007

Dear Mayor de Blasio,

I am writing to you to request an official process to address concerns that many Asian American
families have with the proposal to amend the Specialized High School admissions process.

As an alumnus of the Bronx High School of Science and the Discovery Program, I appreciate
your leadership and effort to make the Specialized High Schools more diverse and reflective of
city’s student population. I recognize that diversity is an important part of every student’s
educational experience and I hope to work with you to ensure that our students are best prepared
to face any challenges they tackle in an increasingly diverse world.

However, I have serious concerns about the lack of dialogue between your office, the New York
City Department of Education, and the students, families, and communities that will be
disproportionately impacted by this policy. Asian Americans have a unique relationship with
Specialized High Schools. For many families, particularly low-income immigrant families, the
Specialized High Schools are the only pathway to a world-class education. Without consultation
with community leaders and elected representatives of these communities, the Administration
was unable to hear from these diverse voices and the community’s unique perspectives. More
importantly, the Administration denied itself of an opportunity to have a nuanced conversation
with a community that would be disproportionately impacted by this policy change.

Unfortunately, we do not have sufficient assurances that this proposal will increase diversity.
Specifically, this plan does not address the fact that far too many students are at a disadvantage
on the day of the SHSAT. As a city, we need to identify immediate ways to make the existing
process fairer, such as making sure that every student knows about the test when they enter
Middle School and expand the DREAM-Specialized High School Institute (DREAM-SHSI), or
similar programs, to ensure low-income communities of color are prepared for the SHSAT. In
the long-term, we must strive to make sure that our Middle Schools are preparing every student,
regardless of race and socioeconomic status, for the rigors of the SHSAT, as well as the schools
that use the exam as an admission criterion.
Without a formalized process that allows for true dialogue between policymakers within your
Administration and community members, I cannot support this proposal. The Asian American
community needs a seat at the table and I strongly urge you to meet with us, work with us and
together, create a solution that elevates all of our students.

Sincerely,

Margaret S. Chin
Council Member
District 1, Lower Manhattan

CC: Chancellor Richard Carranza, NYC Department of Education